The Calling of Destiny: Twisted Realities
by LWKitty
Summary: Two months have gone by and things have tried to go back to the way they were before. Now it comes time for the girls to start practicing in full armor, but Rylea can't seem to don the armor. Will she ever be able to? AU Third story in series
1. Prologue

The Calling of Destiny: Twisted Realities

From the thoughts of Rylea Sanada:

How can this be? I just keep thinking that soon I'll wake up from this nightmare that I've found myself stuck in now --- but somehow, somewhere, deep down I know I won't. It doesn't seem fair to me, or real to me for that matter. Why do I have to be cursed in two ways? First, I find out that I'm going to become the next Wildfire from my father and now... Now I find out that I'm some kind of a demon? No I take that back. I'm not just _some _kind of a demon --- I'm _the _Goddess of Night, an ancient demoness who was hell bent on taking over the mortal world. _The _Goddess who tried to take over the mortal world twice. Well... I only tried to take it over once out of the two times, but that was because of her! But all that aside, I'm still a demon and _always _will be. No amount of saving the world is _ever_ going to change that.

Sirous. He's to blame for that. He killed, no I take that back, he _murdered_ my mother in cold blood just so that he could turn me and have some prophecy that the Supreme had thought up play its self out. He had this whole little scheme planned out from the very beginning and I was just a pawn in it. A pawn that played into his little game just like he had wanted me to.

Something went wrong, though, the night he had tried to turn me and it might have been the only thing that saved me ---gave me a little bit more time to kill until the inevitable happened anyway. Instead of turning into a half demon or hybrid as they're called in the demon world, right then and there like I was supposed to --- I turned eleven years later, on my birthday to be exact. Turned into the one thing that Sirous had hoped I would... A full fledge demon Goddess. A pissed off demon Goddess who wanted not only revenge on the Ronins who had sealed her away, but to take over the mortal world as well.

It still makes my skin crawl even to this day when I think about it. I can still feel that cold, icy power grip my every sense as its evil flowed through me. Can still feel its evil, dark powers wrap around and pull my entire soul within in its cloak of darkness. What disgusts me the most is that I liked it. I liked, no, _loved_ that feeling of power that over came me. I loved being in control and knowing that no one could stop me even if they wanted to. I loved knowing that I was stronger than the Supreme, knowing that I was the ruler of the demon and mortal realm, the true ruler and everyone would bow at my feet. Those thoughts that ran through my mind were what scared and disgusted me all at the same time.

What if I turn again? That's the one question that races through my mind all the time; the one thing that I worry constantly about. I worry that one day maybe I will turn and that'll be it. Everyone I care about will die and the mortal world will be mine to have and control. No one, not even the Supreme themselves, could stop me from getting what I want ---and if they can't stop me then my friends and family won't be able to stop me either.

It's a burden that I carry with me everyday. Sometimes the cravings and urges get to be so bad that I want to give in to that other side to just stop the pain that comes with staying in control. I want to just stop fighting it and give up. Then I think about my family and friends, all the people I would be condemning to death and I hold strong. This is my curse. This is my life. No longer do I have to just worry about graduating from high school, but now I have the added pressure of staying in control of that evil side of me.

Now here's where it gets twisted, wickedly twisted. Not only am I a demon who was once also an ancient demoness reincarnated and has the chance of becoming once again, but I'm also the leader of the Roninettes. I still have my Wildfire armor ---or at least everyone says I do. I have yet to don the armor myself. I don't even think I can. Let's think about that for a second here. Why would an armor that's meant to do good in the world let someone like me who is half of what it's supposed to fight against, wield it? It wouldn't. Ok, let's be real here. I will never be able to bear it, but no one wants to admit it because if I can't --- who else will wear the armor of Wildfire?

Everyone seems to be just over looking the fact that I'm half of what we're supposed to be fighting. I'm half their enemy, I mean, come on! I just think they don't want to believe it. I don't blame them though ---I don't want to believe it either. It's almost like if I actually say that I am or believe that I am, then it all becomes real to me. Somehow by not admitting that I am what I am, then I'm not. If I don't admit it to my self and choose not to believe it, then I'm not really the Goddess of Night and a hybrid.

But I can't run from it. I can't over look it or pretend it doesn't exist. It does. This is who I am; I'm half the evil and the good in the world ---I'm the real threat to everyone and the world its self. This is my destiny ---I just have to choose the outcome of it. I can either be Rylea of Wildfire, a force of good in the world or I can be Rylea, Goddess of Night and bringer of the end of the world. It's up to me to choose... But will I choose the right one in the end?...


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: **I do not, in any way shape or form, own any of the Ronin Warriors or anything having to do with them. I do, however, own my own characters (the girls, Leinto etc...) Now that this is out of the way, here's the story.

**The Calling of Destiny: Twisted Realities**

**:Chapter one:**

Two months. That's how much time had past since the battle with Sirous and the Goddess. Two months since everyone's world had been turned completely upside down. Two months since everything had begun.

Little had changed in the girls' lives. They all still hung together, still went to the same school and came home like everyone else ---but in truth, they weren't like everyone else. Not everyone has to fight evil, bear an armor or train with a charge on how to use elemental magic ---but you did if you were a Sanada, Date, Mouri, Rei Faun or Hashiba girl. It was all just part of your normal, everyday routine and life. Something that you excepted and went along with no matter how you really felt on the inside.

Now if you were to see one of these girls, you wouldn't think that your average looking teenage girl could be a mythical armor bearer, but they are. Nobody but themselves and their family knows about it though. They live a totally normal life, or as normal as ones life can be, complete with sports, boys, homework and detentions. You thought high school was bad enough alone, well throw in mythical armor and having to save the world and study for exams all at the same time. Think you could do it?  
-

Ryo Sanada gripped the steering wheel as hard as he could with his right hand until his knuckles turned white while his left rubbed at his forehead irritably. His temper was getting close to boiling over as he sat in mid day traffic, somewhat patiently waiting for the long line of cars to start moving again. He floored the accelerator and zoomed around the corner, tires screeching, before the light could turn red on him again. A few cars honked their horns at him, but the ebony haired man ignored them as he drove on. He continued down the street he was on, heading in the direction of his house that sat on the outskirts of the Toyama City limits.

Once he was outside of the city limits, the majority of the traffic and his initial rage had subsided somewhat, Ryo stole an angered glance over at the dark haired girl who sat quietly in the passenger's seat beside him. Today was supposed to have been his day off, but instead of lying around the house doing nothing, he was out bringing his daughter home once again from school.

Twice that week he had been called by the principle of her school. Twice he had been asked to come and get her from school for one reason or another. This time it was for mouthing back to the teacher and being insubordinate. Not a new one to Ryo in any means. He knew his daughter had a tendency to run off at the mouth, but lately she had been doing that a lot more than she usually would have. Making him start to think that maybe there was something else going on that he just wasn't catching onto.

Ryo kept glancing at his daughter as he drove down the road. If the girl knew he was looking at her, she gave no indication of it. Mutely she kept her gaze pointed at the scenery that passed her by, chin rested on her hand while her elbow sat on the arm rest of her seat; eyes diverted to the whirling colors of greens, browns and a few other colors thrown in here or there. She seemed to be almost unperturbed by his angered glances or just in a whole 'nother world all together.

Time flew by and Ryo soon pulled into the dirt driveway that led to his house. Parking his car just in front of the walkway to the porch, he exited the vehicle and slammed the door shut before walking to the house. The girl who remarkably resembled her father, followed after him up the porch steps and to the door to the house. Ryo fumbled with his keys until he had found the right one that unlocked the front door to his house. Quickly and swiftly he inserted the key into the lock and unlocked the door. Turning the doorknob, he gave the door a gentle shove and it swung open. Stepping aside from the door, Ryo motioned with his arms for his daughter to go in first.

With a smirk on her face, she walked into the still house, dropped her shoes by the door and headed for her room upstairs. The girl didn't get too far up the stairs before a not-so-pleased sounding voice came from behind her though. "Not so fast their Rylea," Ryo called after the back of his fleeing daughter.

Silently the girl cussed to herself as she slowly turned around to find her father's piercing gaze and folded arms staring back at her. "Living room now," he commanded and then walked around the wall that divided the front door hallway from the living room, expecting his daughter to follow after him.

Rylea growled her annoyance at him, but obediently followed after the ebony haired man into the living room. Coming into the living room she was met once again by his glaring eyes. "Sit," he simply said, but there was enough commandment within his voice that she immediately did as she had been told.

The room was quiet for a few moments as Ryo just stared at the girl who sat before him; it was almost like he was staring her down. China blue eyes silently glared at the shaggy, dark haired girl who could have passed for his twin. The only difference between the two was that her skin tone was darker and her hair was longer. Other than those two things, she was a female version of her father.

Rylea stole a nervous glance over at her father now and caught that seething rage in his china blue eyes. She'd seen that look in his eyes so many times before that she knew automatically what was coming. Knew what she'd be in for before the storm was ever unleashed on her.

"Something you want to tell me?" Ryo asked his daughter while clasping his hands together in front of him. The tone of his voice gave away that he was mad, but was trying to keep it under control.

Rylea hesitated before answering him. She'd caught that tone he had and knew that the wrong reply could cause him to snap on her. "Um... No?" she replied back just as hesitantly, hoping that what she'd said hadn't been the wrong thing.

"No?" he repeated as if making sure he'd heard her right. When she nodded slowly in return he chuckled lightly. Not in amusement, but more like someone who was beyond mad and laughing to keep from hurting someone. "You sure, because it seems to me that you do."

"What would I need to tell you?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe the reason why I've had to pick you up twice this week because you can't seem to follow the rules," Ryo fired back at her as his eyes narrowed into a glare.

Rylea shrugged half-heartedly while folding her arms over her chest. She seemed almost unaffected by her father's glare as she replied, "Bad week, that time of the month, they just rubbed me the wrong way. I don't know, you take your pick, Dad."

"Do you really expect me to believe those half-ass excuses? What kind of an idiot do you take me for, Rylea?" his voice was starting to rise now as his hold on his temper began to slip.

"There's more than one kind?"

"God damnit, Rylea I'm not playing with you!" Ryo shouted at his daughter as his fist came down on the armrest of the couch and then he picked it back up to point an accusing finger out at her as he added, "Now you listen and listen up good child. You'd better get your head out of your ass and straighten up your attitude or you will not like the wrath I bring down on you."

"But-"

"I don't want to hear any of your excuses," Ryo said while waving off her words, cutting her off before she even had a chance. "All I want from you are good grades and not another phone call from your principle. Wakatta? Now get your rebellious ass up to you room and start thinking and contemplating about how you're going to start getting along with your teachers!"

Rylea didn't move. She just sat glaring at her father with the most hatred filled glare she could muster up, already she could feel her own temper starting to flare up. Ryo glared back at his daughter just as threateningly as he said, "Did I stutter? Bedroom now Rylea Marie or I swear on my wife's grave I will carry your ass up there and you won't like it if I have to."

With a growl of protest, Rylea did as she had been told and stormed from the living room. The resounding sound of her door being slammed shut told Ryo that she was there. He sighed as he sat back against the couch, trying to massage away the headache that was beginning. He was sure before the day was over he'd have a full blown migraine. _Having to deal with my children is what gives me my migraines, _Ryo thought with a wry smirk and then his eyes flicked upon the large white and black striped tiger coming towards him from the kitchen.

White Blaze came in and settled down next to his master's feet, awoken from his midday nap and not too happy about it. With a huff he settled his head back onto his paws as he heard the tv being flicked on and noise filtered into the room. Squeezing his eyes shut and trying to block out the irritating sound, the large house cat tried to fall back into some kind of a sleep.  
-

"I'm home!" Rona called cheerily as she entered the seemingly empty house and closed the door behind her. Contrary to her cousin, she had shoulder blade length royal-blue-hair and deep, purple blue eyes. An odd mix of colors yes, but all real.

Rona Hashiba was the genius of her school, following in her father's footsteps. Quiet and subtle, she kept to herself most of the time. Known by some as "teacher's pet", but the blue haired genius didn't seem to mind. Most of the people who called her that were jealous of the fact that getting good grades came naturally to her. Either that, or it was because she made a point of keeping her record clean of any kind of trouble.

Dropping her things by the door now, the young bearer of Strata walked farther into the house. Confused by the fact that her mother hadn't welcomed her home, Rona decided to find out where she was. Deciding to check the kitchen first, where her mother usually was, she walked in there and found a note on the table instead of her mom's smiling face.

Rona

Had a doctor's appointment to go to. I'll be back before it's time for dinner. If your father calls, tell him where I am.

Love,

Mom

"Well, that answers my question as to where she is," the blue haired teen said aloud before replacing the note where she'd found it.

Her eyes then came to rest on the blinking red light of the answering machine beside her on the kitchen counter. Blinking lights meant messages and messages meant someone had called. Curious as to who had called, Rona hit the playback button on the answering machine and a computer sounding voice began talking.

"Monday, 3:45 p.m., message one," it sounded off before a beeping sound came and an all too familiar voice started in replace of the computerized one.

"Hey Rons, it's Keish. Did you hear yet? Lea got sent home again today! Man, she went off on Ms. Kamanchi. It was really something to see. Anyway, could you call her for me and see what's up? I would, but who knows what kind of a mood Uncle Ryo's in. I figured you'd get somewhere if you called. Ok? Call me later girl! Ja ne!"

"End of messages."

Rona sighed as the message Keish had left her ended. It didn't surprise her, what Keish had told her. Her cousin Rylea was always getting in trouble for one reason or another. Sometimes even bringing her along when the girl felt she needed an accomplice in crime. Picking up the phone from its cradle, Rona dialed the all too familiar number of her cousin's house now and pressed the receiver to her ear as it rang. Walking into the front from, the girl got comfortable on the couch while she waited for her cousin to answer it.  
-

"Order up!"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Keish droned while taking the plate of food that had just come up and walked it over to the table in the corner. The man who had ordered it smiled and mumbled a thank you to the ash-blue haired waitress. Automatically Keish returned the gesture before walking back to the pick up window.

Behind the window stood her petite, auburn haired friend Kami, busily helping the cooks out. Beads of sweat dotted the girl's forehead as her brows furrowed in concentration. Busily the girl worked in fluid movements to prepare food for the awaiting customers. Other cooks wearing the white Chef's uniform ran back and forth behind her, just as busy preparing meals as she was, shouting out orders and ingredients they needed for them.

"Hey Kami," called Keish, startling the poor girl out of her thoughts. A broad grin settled over her face at her actions. Unlike her petite friend, Keish was stocky and tall. Ash-blue hair that was usually held up in a ponytail hung behind her and a gold band around her forehead kept her bangs out of her face. Deep blue eyes and a never ending appetite completed the girl known as Keish Rei Faun.

A subtle glare settled across the young water Roninette's features at the smile on her friend's face as she said, "What Keish?"

The girl she had spoken to only smiled more while replying, "That order almost done?"

Her question only infuriated the auburn haired girl more. With all the strength she could find she replied without screaming, "It would be if you'd stop pestering me and let me finish it."

"Alright, alright," Keish replied with a pleased grin spread happily across her face. "I know when I'm not wanted."

"Apparently you don't," mumbled the young cook as she wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her arm and then tried to go back to the order she had been cooking. Steam rose up from the large stove in front of her as the girl placed food on it to be cooked. Keish only grinned more now as she watched.

"Hey now, less talk and more work girls."

Keish's blue eyes darted over in the direction the voice had come from, smiling when she found her Dad's grinning face coming towards her now. "That's what I was trying to tell Kami here," she told him and pointed innocently at the sandy haired girl behind the pick up window.

Kento laughed heartily at his niece Kami as the petite girl raised a spatula threatenly in his daughter's direction as her face twisted into a look of rage. "Uh oh," he said in-between his chuckling. "I know that look Keish. Cye used to do the same thing to me before he ran me out of the kitchen."

"And I still have to do it today," came Cye's sweet, accented voice as he came up behind Kento with a smirk on his handsome face. Kento glanced behind him and a smirk slid over his face at who he found there.

"Hai, so I've seen," Keish snickered at the memory of her Uncle Cye chasing her father from the kitchen with his all-mighty-spatula held high, occasionally hitting her father on the head as he was run from the kitchen.

"And I'm about to do the same thing to Keish if she doesn't stop bothering me," Kami threatened with her own all-mighty-kitchen-utensil raised dangerously in the air, her fingers clenching and unclenching around it ---her eyes focused intently on Keish.

"Order up!" one of the other male cooks in the kitchen shouted before trays of food were slid onto the pick up window.

"Alright, alright," Keish mumbled while grabbing the order and leaving to take the trays of food to the awaiting people. "I'm out of here."

"Thank goodness," Kami replied in relief as she went back to the food she had been cooking. The two men laughed at how much their daughter's acted like themselves before heading off to attend to business. Stopping at some of the tables to talk to a few customers here or there, getting feed back on how the food was and what not before they left.  
-

"I don't understand."

"What's not to understand?" Hojo shot back at his sister from where he sat on the loveseat with arms crossed over his chest and a frown now covering his handsome features. His sister and himself had come home that day to news they hadn't expected even in one of their wildest dreams. "They don't love each other anymore so they're splitting Heather. Get it?"

Heather Date still couldn't seem to come to terms with it. Divorce? Why now? Why would her parents get a divorce now? Why now when she was fifteen and her brother about to turn eight-teen? If they had wanted to split, then why didn't they do it years ago? Confusion melted across her face as light blue eyes came to rest on her parents who now sat as far away from each other as they could, questions flying through her mind a mile a minute. Tucking her soft, golden blond hair behind her ear, Heather finally said, "Why now? If you two have felt like this for a while now then why not split years ago?"

Understanding lavender-violet eyes looked back at her. Her father looked to be almost sympathetic with her. "We didn't want to put you through unneeded stress, so we both decided to hold off on going through with it," Sage's soft, but deep voice replied to her. He could feel all the emotions swimming around his daughter and it hurt him to know that she was hurting. Sometimes having the ability of empathy wasn't all that great and this was one of those very few times that Sage Date wished that he didn't have it.

"Well how considerate of you both," Hojo retorted angrily. He didn't care how nicely they tried to put it, divorce was divorce to him. His parents were separating and the blond was moving out, so it really didn't matter much to him. His sister was whom Hojo was more concerned about.

Brushing at the blond strands of hair that seemed to hang over his left eye, Hojo laid light lavender-violet eyes on his sister now, reading the emotions clearly that were stamped across her face in big bold letters. He felt sorry for her more than he did for his parents whose marriage was now officially over. He ignored his mother's blue eyed gaze completely that was now rested on him. He didn't want to hear anything she had to say. By the look on her face and the fact that she had very little to say, Hojo had pretty much come to the conclusion that his father was the one who wanted the divorce and his mother was still very much in love with his father.

"Hojo, hunny, I understand any anger you may have towards us for this," Hannah Date nervously started as she tucked some of her sandy blond hair behind her ears and then went to twisting the wedding ring on her finger. She never once looked at her son while she talked. "But... We felt it was better than us fighting constantly in front of you two."

Hojo almost laughed out loud at what his mother had said, but suppressed the need to. His parents had argued and fought in front and or, in earshot of his sister and himself all the time growing up. Them fighting was nothing new to either of them. That wasn't the real reason why they were getting divorced. Oh no, his father had just finally gotten tired of listening to his mother's nagging, bitching, and just basic complaining all the time. That was why _he _was leaving _her_. Not that Hojo didn't love his mom, but if he were his father he'd have left her a long time ago.

"Who will we be living with?" Heather broke the silence that had fallen over them with the one question that had been weighing heavily on her.

Hannah looked over at Sage, but the blond man didn't even so much as glance in her direction. His gaze was settled on his daughter as he replied, "You'll be living with your mom, sweet heart."

"What about Hojo?"

Hojo snorted in mirth as he said, "I'll be living in an apartment with Kayto and Tye, Heather."

"Hojo," Sage's warning voice said his name and the young man knew on instinct to be quiet.

"But," Heather started as unsure eyes looked up at her Dad. "Am I still going to be able to see you?"

"Baby is that what's been worrying you all this time?" Sage gently prodded out and when Heather nodded he smiled reassuringly while bringing her into his embrace. "Sweet heart, baby, you'll always be able to see me. Just because I won't be living here anymore doesn't mean you won't get to see me on the weekends and you know you're always welcome to visit me at my home or work anytime you want. Ok?"

Heather nodded mutely as her father hugged her. She just couldn't get used to it, the idea of her father not being in the same home as her. Having to visit him at another home and actually having two different homes instead of one, she couldn't comprehend it all just yet. The pretty blond was still stuck on when they had said they were getting a divorce. Divorce. The word rang in her ears, shattering any kind of safety and security she had come to know. Destroyed her life, the life she had known, the world she had lived in. She squeezed her eyes shut now, trying to just shut everything around her out as she held onto her father; wishing that none of this was happening to he now.  
-

"Yeah, he's throwing a big fit over something that's really not all that big a deal," Rylea said into the cordless phone she held against her head. Rona was on the other end, as usual, and the two girls were now discussing Rylea's sentence from the safety of her room. "I don't know what his problem is."

Silence followed her statement while she listened to her cousin speak on the other end. Frowning at whatever the other girl was saying, the dark haired girl then reached out and stroked the large feline lying before her. The tiger stretched at her touch and began to purr. White Blaze's actions brought a brief smile to the girl's face before a frown twisted across her features once again.

"Ya know, it sounds to me like you're taking his side Rons and you're kinda not supposed to be," sardonically she said into the phone to the blue haired girl on the other end.

Once again silence followed as Rylea listened to the girl on the phone, occasionally rolling her eyes at whatever was being said to her.

White Blaze cracked one chocolate brown eye open at his mistress. He didn't see what all the commotion was about, but whatever it was had the dark haired girl he knew to be Rylea angry and that caught his attention.

"Whatever Rona, ok, whatever. I've got to go to the bathroom so I guess I'll call you whenever I get the chance to. Alright?" a few seconds of silence followed her words before she finished with, "Bye." Growling in annoyance at whatever her cousin had said to her, Rylea tossed the phone she was holding carelessly and left her room, leaving a thoroughly confused White Blaze behind.

A sigh escaped the ebony haired man, as the laptop he was working on once again wasn't doing what he wanted it to. Annoyed tiger blue eyes flicked up to the upstairs balcony as he heard a door open and then watched his daughter walk from her room to the bathroom, three doors down. Ryo half considered asking his daughter, the techno-genius, to aid him with his computer problems, but then remembered that he was supposed to be mad at her.

The bathroom door opened again and Rylea flicked off the light before heading back on her way to her room. No longer was she wearing the blue and white uniform of her school, but gray sweats and a wife beater. Forgetting the fact that he was supposed to be mad at her Ryo called out to her, "Lea?"

The dark haired girl he'd spoken to jumped, startled by his voice. Regaining her composure now, she peered over the banister of the balcony and replied rather coldly, "What? I didn't think I'd done anything in the last three hours that would make you mad."

Ryo smirked humorously at her comment. Leave it to his daughter to be sarcastic even when she knew she was in trouble. "No, you haven't," he said in his usual cheerful voice, smiling kindly up to his daughter.

Rylea raised one dark eyebrow suspiciously at her father. Only a few hours ago he'd been yelling at her and now he sounded like everything was fine. The girl now had a sinking feeling that she knew what he was up to. "Ok," she drawled out while crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you want?"

"Aren't I usually the one saying that to you?" he asked back as a sly grin slipped across his face now and he then added, "Actually I do need you to do something for me. This laptop isn't doing anything I want it to. You think you could make it work for me?"

An amused laugh came as his reply. Settling her laughter down to simple chuckling, Rylea flicked at the wild bangs that hung in her eyes and replied with, "Hai, I know I can, but I'm currently supposed to be confined to my room. Maybe if that was lifted I could see what I could do."

A smirk curled around Ryo's lips at his daughter's subtle request. Now he had to rethink how important using his laptop was. Chuckling finally with a smile he said, "Alright, I revoke the confinement, but only if you can get this computer to work."

"Consider it done," came the confident reply from Rylea as the girl walked down the stairs and over to her father who sat with a laptop open in front of him on the couch. A few clicks, lots of typing and a couple bangs later and the laptop was functional again. "There ya go," she said with a proud smile before bouncing into the kitchen to get something to drink.

Ryo shook his head at his energetic daughter before going back to the pie graphs and whatnots that came with his job. It may have been a day off from the office, but he still had to stay on top of things. Glancing over in her direction briefly when she reappeared in the room he said, "I guess it's a good thing I have a techno-genius as a daughter, otherwise I'd never get anything done."

"Yeah no kidding," the girl spoken to replied between gulps of the Mountain Dew she now held. "Because we all know Rye isn't gifted with technology."

A chuckle came from the ebony haired man on the couch at her reply. "Yeah so I learned," he said and then looked over at her and a frown settled over his face while he pointed to the pop bottle in her hand. "Lea, what did I tell you about drinking so much pop?"

"Dad, chill, it's my first one today," came the, a little more than annoyed, reply from Rylea.

"It had better be."

"It is," the Roninette of Wildfire told him as she glanced up at the clock that hung on the wall over the huge entertainment center. Noting the time, she then quickly beat a hasty retreat back to her room and shut the door behind her. Minutes passed before the girl reappeared in faded jeans and a red tank. Both her necklaces that she never took off, her mother's pendant and fire pendant, jingled against her chest as she came down the stairs and headed to get her shoes from the door.

Ryo, who had been watching her, now sat back against the couch with arms folded behind his head with an almost amused smile on his face. "Going somewhere, Lea?" he called out to her with a certain cheeriness to his voice.

The said girl came back into the front room, carrying her Nikes that had yet to be put on. She cocked her head at her father as if in questioning. "Um, yeah, I have um... Something that I need to do," she stuttered out and gave him a bright smile.

"Oh really?" Ryo replied with one dark eyebrow raised in inquiry at her. "And that something would be?"

"Um, I have to go and talk with my gymnastics coach about an upcoming thing."

"Oh really? And just what is this 'thing'?" he prodded on further, getting a hint that she was making up an excuse just so that she could leave. His smile now began to grow more at the nervousness that seemed to settle over her all of a sudden at his persistent questioning.

"Ummm..."

Chuckling, Ryo told her, "Ah huh, just as I thought. Lea you're grounded until further stated which means no leaving the house."

"But Dad, I need to go. I have something that I need to talk with my coach about, but I can't tell you. Please?" she pleaded with him, laying the full effect of her devastatingly blue eyes on him as a last resort to get her way. "Pretty please? I promise I will be good."

He sighed and closed his eyes while laying one hand over them as if in an attempt to block her out. Ryo knew he never could tell his daughter no when she laid the "blue eye effect" on him. "I know I'm going to regret this later," he mumbled to himself before looking back at her with a smirk. "Alright, you can go, but you have to be back here before dinner."

"Dinner? Dad dinner for us is either eat out or order in. The pizza boy knows all of us by first name for Christ sake," Rylea replied sardonically to his request and then suggested, "Why can't I just meet you guys at the restaurant or something?"

"Fine," he said, caving in finally to her pleads. "Meet your brother and I at _Little Tokyo_ at six and don't be late or I'll never let you out of the house again. Wakatta?"

"Hai," she replied with a firm nod of her head and kissed him on the cheek. "I will be there. Arigato Otousan, you're the best." With a smile in his direction she waltzed out the door and was gone. Leaving Ryo shaking his head in dismay at her.

"Oy," he sighed to himself while once again going back to the work he had set out to do. His tiger padded down the stairs now, coming over to sit at his master's feet as the black haired man worked on his laptop. Shaking his head, Ryo mused aloud to himself, "What am I going to do with her?"  
-

The wind blew lightly, rustling the hair of the dingy blond haired male as he leaned against the rot iron fence that outlined the park behind him. Children's laughing and happy squeals as they played floated to his ears from the playground equipment behind him. Lazily he cast his blue eyes to the sky, having to shield them from the sun over head as its rays beat down upon him. The boy stuck his hands down into the pockets of his jeans as the breeze once again rustled his black muscle shirt and blew his wild hair into his eyes. He sighed and brushed the hair back away from his face.

People passed him by on their way down the bustling streets of Toyama. Some held cell phones pressed against their ears as they chatted to some unknown person on the other end. Others hurried down the sidewalk, waving an arm in the air to stop the bus that had just pulled up to the curb from leaving without them. None of them even gave the young man leaning against the fence a second glance; none even cared who he was. To them he was just another teenager, just another face in the crowd, just one more person in the world. None of them knew who or more like what, he really was and wouldn't believe it even if they were told.

People, mortals, like the ones who passed him by, lived a life totally oblivious to anything outside of what they knew ---totally unaware of the demons and other various creatures that lived amongst them.

The young man's musings brought a smirk to his face as he watched the people passing him by. His smirk melted into a grin as he caught sight of a shaggy, dark haired girl approaching him from across the street. He chuckled while straightening his posture and took his hands from his pockets when she was within hearing distance of him. "I almost thought you weren't going to show," he said to her, his eyes showing how glad he was that she'd come as they eyed her.

"Did you now?" the dark haired girl replied with a light teasing air amongst her voice and a grin spread happily across her face.

"Yeah," he retorted in a husky voice while a cheeky grin appeared on his face and his arms wrapped themselves around the waist of the girl standing in front of him without warning. He smiled more at the startled shriek she let out as he pulled her close against himself now.

"Tadin," she chortled out and smacked him playfully on the chest, a smile still spread over her features. "Don't do that."

The boy she had spoken to only smiled more at her actions while a slight chuckle escaped him. Gently he caressed her cheek with his knuckles as he replied, "Don't do what?." He smiled more at the raised eyebrow he got from her in return and added, "So what kept you, Lea? Or did you just not want to come and see me?"

"No, no, nothing like that," the girl known as Rylea replied with a shake of her head and sighed as her eyes dropped to the ground below her. "I got sent home again today and let's just say my Dad had a fit about it. I had to lie to him and use the 'blue eye effect' on him to be able to get out of the house."

Tadin smirked down at the girl he held close to him. He'd only known her for almost three months now, but knew enough to know that staying out of trouble wasn't exactly an easy thing for her. Gently he brushed her wild bangs from her face and a light smile came to his lips when her bright blue eyes looked up at him once again. Silently he just stared back into her china blue eyes, feeling himself starting to become lost in them just like he had the first time he'd meet her.

"So you lied to the old man just to be able to come and see me?" he finally spoke to her as his smile widened. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you liked me."

"Well aren't you a regular Sherlock Holmes," sardonically the dark haired girl replied while pushing herself from his hold and folded her arms stubbornly over her chest.

A chuckle came from the dingy blond haired man at her remark, finding her sarcastic and, at times, rude comments funny. "Well I can't say yes or no to that because I don't even know who he is," Tadin replied.

China blue eyes blinked up at him in stunned disbelief, "You don't know who Sherlock Holmes is?" Tadin shook his head no and Rylea laughed aloud.

"What's so funny about that?" he asked her, confused by why she found that to be so funny.

"Never mind," came the still chuckling voice of Rylea as she regained control of her laughter. "Some things just strike me as funny."

"Is that so," Tadin replied with a grin and before Rylea could get away from him the blond had scooped her up in his arms, throwing her over his shoulder and swung her around. Ignoring her protests and pleadings for him to stop, along with laughter occasionally, the young man continued to swing her around until he was sure she was too dizzy to see straight. Laughing, he stopped and took her down from his shoulder.

"Whoa," the dark haired girl said as she stumbled and had to grab a hold of Tadin to steady herself as her whole world spun before her eyes. Laughter from the young man who she held onto brought a smug smile to her face as she slapped the arm she clung to and snapped, "Shut up! It's not funny."

"I know," he chortled out and then took a hold of her shoulders to steady her as she tried to walk again. "You okay?"

"Hai, I'm fine... Just make my world stop spinning," Rylea replied while holding one hand firmly over her eyes and the other clamped tightly onto the man's arm, afraid that if she let go she'd fall.

The smile faded from the young man's face as he took a hold of her right hand and slid his other securely around her waist. "Come on," he said to her while gently leading her forward. "Why don't we sit down."

"That sounds like a good idea to me."

Tadin led her into the park where the children played and helped her sit down on the bench before taking a seat beside her. He watched as Rylea rubbed at her eyes some before then focusing them out on the laughing and playing children before her. A smile spread over her face, which in turn brought a smile to Tadin's face to see her smiling. Chuckling lightly, he rested his arm around her shoulders and looked out at the kids playing as well.

"I wish," the dark haired girl started in something just a little above a whisper as her eyes took on a sad glimmer. "I wish I could be like them. Just be happy and carefree. Not have to worry about what evil force is going to try and take over this world, just... Be happy."

Tadin was silent for a moment. He wasn't sure what to say to her or what he should say. The girl beside him sighed heavily as if a great burden weighed on her and looked down at the green grass below the wooden bench she sat on. Silence fell over the two before Rylea broke it with, "It's not fair you know? It's not fair that I had to lose someone close to me just to become something that I don't even want to be."

A lump formed in Tadin's throat at her words, knowing what she was talking about all too well. Comforting her and also trying to cheer her up at the same time, the blond replied with, "Yeah, but if it had never happened then I would never have met your sarcastic self."

His comment earned a chuckle from the girl beside him and he continued on, "Lea, I know it must be hard on you and I won't even begin to try and tell you I understand because I don't. All I can tell you, is that everything happens for a reason. If you hadn't been chosen then someone else would have and instead of being able to keep it in check, you'd be battling someone who's in your same position. Someone who doesn't care or doesn't have the will power to keep it under control. You were given this burden for a reason."

"I know," she replied with detest and glanced back up to look out at the playground once again. "I just wish at times that I hadn't been that person. That someone else would have this burden and not me."

"Yeah, well," the blond started as a smile spread across his face and he pulled her in close to him. "I couldn't pick a better girl to be an ancient Goddess. You've got the whole look pulled off great."

Laughing at what he'd said, Rylea smiled and looked up at him to say, "Yeah? So you like your girls to be half Goddess half Roninette?"

"I don't like just any girls. I like you, Rylea," he murmured to her before leaning in to capture her lips with his in a sweet kiss.

Chuckling, the bright eyed girl leaned back from his kiss and smiled impishly up at the blond boy who looked more than confused at her actions. "So..." she drawled out now as a smirk slid over her face. "You don't like the Goddess Rylea?"

"Hm, well she is one hot babe," Tadin replied to her question with a grin all of his own as he played into her little game.

"Oh really?" Rylea said with one dark eyebrow raised in amusement and then added. "Then I guess you like the Roninette Rylea as well?"

"Of course. I like ass-kicking girls in red armor who talk trash to their enemies," laughing at the face she made he added seriously. "But to be all honest with you, I like Rylea Sanada more than either of those two. Now she's the girl of my dreams."

"Yeah? Well I guess I'll have to tell her you said that," Rylea replied with a broad smile up at her blond haired boyfriend. Her smile faltered a bit as her blue eyes once again dropped to the ground below her as she said, "How are things in the demon realm?"

"Let's not talk about that right now," came Tadin's quick reply as he pulled the girl more into his embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around her with a smile. "I'd like to keep you in a good mood if you don't mind and every time we talk about the happenings in the demon world you get all raging bull on me. I know you have this "famous Sanada temper" and all, but you can get really scary when you get mad."

The boy's words brought a slight chuckle from the girl in his arms. She knew he was right. Every time they did discuss anything that had to do with demons or the demon realm, she did go off on a rampage somewhat. "Yeah you're right," she finally admitted with a sigh. "Ok so demon talk is out of the question, then what do you want to talk about?"

"Who said I wanted to talk about anything?" Tadin whispered in her ear before tipping her head up to meet his own. Softly he kissed her, ending any conversation they would have had as the kids laughed and played around them. Becoming wrapped up in the emotions and girl he held in his arms and the short amount of time they had to spend together.  
-

A/N: Ok, well, I'm back and brought with me the third story in this series. Hopefully this wasn't too dull for anyone, but I had to start it out someway. I would like to thank LG for not only reviewing this, but for also helping me with a character that will show up later in this story. Thanks big time girl! More chaps to come when I feel like it.


	3. Chapter Two

****

::Chapter 2::

Darkness. It seemed to be everywhere. There was almost no end to the darkness that incased everything. Without warning, dim light flowed into the room, chasing back the darkness that had once reigned over it. Four forms could now be made out as they sat at a rectangle shaped table. The table itself almost seemed to be made out of some form of metal as well as the chairs that sat around it. A glowing ball of light levitated in the middle of the table, in clear view of the four still unidentified forms.

A tall, dark skinned man sat at the head of the table. His black eyes reflected the light coming from the glowing sphere. A scar from a battle long ago ran just above his left eye and ended at his ear. The headman of the four Supreme, he was known for his bloodthirsty attitude and lust for battles. Described by some as a wild man, it's no wonder why he became the headman of the Supreme.

"So our Goddess has finally awakened," proclaimed the deep and chilling voice of the man seated at the head of the table. He clasped his hands in front of him on the tabletop as if in prayer as a smirk played over his mouth.

"Hai, but Sirous was not able to turn her and keep that Goddess awake. Now she slumbers once again," a second voice from amongst the group spoke up. This man had an olive tone skin and green eyes that stood out in contrast to his amber colored hair with red streaks. The man sat his arm on top of the table and a tattoo of a snake winding its way down his upper left arm could be seen.

"Slumbers maybe, but she is not totally asleep again. Our Goddess still lives deep beneath the surface," a third voice now came into the conversation. Milky white eyes were now focused on the amber haired man across from him. At first glance one would think that he were blind but he saw all, even that that was unseen by others. Gray hair streaked black in places tumbled over his shoulders and tribal tattoos lined his face and arms.

"She awaits for her chance to be set free again," the last of the group now spoke. Fire red hair stood out in contrast with his orange eyes and fair skin. Scars lined his arms and chest from battles that he had fought in. He had a temper to match his hair and loved a good challenge. "Ichiro, what have you got planned?"

"For now I have plans of observations," the man known as Ichiro spoke from his seat at the head of the table. "The girl knows nothing of us as of now, maybe just our name, but nothing more and that's the way I would like it to stay. We will lay low for now and learn as much as we can about her, Shiro."

"And you have someone already picked out to do the job, Ichiro?" the second man spoke now.

"Of course he does, Katsuro," the man known as Shiro spoke up and flicked his fire red hair from his face. "When has Ichiro ever made a plan and not had someone lined up to do the job?"

"What I need is someone who can get into the house without them becoming suspicious and watch her," Ichiro spoke again as he stroked his chin in thought. "Someone who can make just about anyone do what she wants."

"She?" came the startled unison repeat from the remaining people seated around the table.

"Hai, _she_," the headman Ichiro confirmed to the rest. "She, as in the Enchantress, Ume."

As if beckoned, a woman entered the almost completely dark room now, the doors swinging shut behind her and returning the room to his previous almost completely dark state. Leather pants slung low on her waist revealed a tattoo of a bleeding heart with a dagger piercing through it. A belly chain was wrapped around her waist and a slinky red halter clung to her chest, exposing a little more than enough cleavage. Gold bracelets dangled from her slender arm and her high heeled boots clicked as she walked. The woman stopped once she had reached the seated man at the head of the room and then turned and smiled to the others.

"Men, meet Ume, our new observer," Ichiro introduced the Enchantress to the other Supreme seated before him. A few whistles and catcalls came as their greetings to her. Ume simply smirked at them and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Well, say hello to the boys Ume," Ichiro told her with a suggestive smirk.

Smiling enticingly, Ume turned her gaze onto the three other men in the room and said in a sultry, seductive voice, "Hey boys." Immediately it was as if a spell had been cast on them. Their eyes glazed over and an almost happy, dazed look fell over their faces. The only thing they could see was the beautiful woman standing before them.

Ichiro chuckled at the demonstration of Ume's power. He hadn't expected all of them to be sucked into her spell so easily. "Alright, you can let them go now," he said to her.

With a smirk she released the men from her spell. Blinking, the three Supreme came out of the stupor they had been in ---confused to a certain extent about what had just happened to them. "Any doubts that Ume can't do the job right?" the dark skinned man asked. Three heads shook a no as an answer to Ichiro. "Good," the man continued on with a pleased expression. "Then it's settled. Ume will be our observer."

The Enchantress, Ume, smiled brightly at the decision that had been made. This was her chance to finally prove to them that she was worth their time. Her one and only chance if she messed this assignment up, but that wasn't going to happen ---Ume would make sure of that.

---------------

The front door opened and then closed again as a woman came into the foyer, dropped her shoes by the door and put her car keys on the hook that hung on the wall. Flipping her black hair over her shoulder she proceeded into the house, depositing her purse on the kitchen table as she walked past it. Picking up the portable phone from its cradle on the counter she dialed a number and then placed the phone to her ear while pulling things out of cupboards for dinner. "Konnichi wa, this is Kiylee Hashiba, could you please page my husband for me?" Kiylee said into the phone and then waited for a reply from the person on the other line. "Sure, I can wait."

Kiylee moved around the kitchen, grabbing pots and various other things while still holding the phone against her ear. Placing a pot on the stove after filing it with water, she lit the pilot and then adjusted the flame. "Hey koibito," she said into the phone cheerily while moving from the stove. "So how long are you going to be tonight?"

Silence followed her question while Kiylee waited for her husband on the other end to give her an answer. Cradling the phone against her shoulder and ear so that both her hands were free to chop up the green, leafy substance on the cutting board she replied into it, "Why? Well, maybe because I would like to have a nice dinner with my husband and maybe because I have very important news to tell you."

Rona waltzed into the kitchen then, hearing her mother's voice talking to someone and curious as to whom it could be. Pulling out a chair to the kitchen table, the blue haired teen sat down and waited for her mom to be off the phone. Kiylee kept her back to her daughter while she chopped something up and talked into the phone at the same time, "What's the important news? Well you'll just have to wait and find out when you get home in time for dinner tonight, won't you?"

Silence once again followed before Kiylee chuckled some and smiled while saying, "Alright if you have to go, fine. I mean it Ro, you'd better be home in time for dinner tonight or I'm not telling you." A pause came while the raven haired woman listened to her husband on the other end speak before replying with, "Alright, love you too, bye," and hung up the phone.

"What was that all about?" Rona asked, gaining her mom's attention as she turned around to replace the portable phone on its cradle.

"Oh nothing. You'll find out later," Kiylee replied with a playful wink and a smile to her daughter before returning to her cooking.

The sound of the front door opening and then closing came before trudging footsteps followed after it. A midnight blue haired young man came into the kitchen then sporting his father's trademark hairstyle and headband. Kiylee turned around from the stove she had been cooking at and screeched when she saw her son. "Kyle Hashiba! Get your muddy shoes out of my kitchen boy!" she shouted at him angrily. "You know better than that!"

Rona snickered as her brother smiled sheepishly at his mother and then turned from the kitchen and headed back to the front door to deposit his shoes there. Kiylee sighed while shaking her head in dismay and grumbled, "The kid has no brains what so ever. I swear he doesn't."

"Yeah, because I have the brains in the family mom," Rona added with a smile to her mother.

"So what," Kyle pronounced as he came back into the kitchen and good heartedly teased while brushing his hair back in a modeling way. "At least I got the looks of the family."

Rona laughed at her brother's comment as she shoved him away from her. Her brother only smiled more as he walked over to where his mother was cooking at the stove. "No, I think I got those too Kyle," she told him with a smirk.

"Says you," he retorted and leaned his head over his mother's shoulder to get a whiff of what she was cooking. "Mhmm, that smells good, Okasan. Can't wait to eat it."

"Yeah, well if you don't back away from me and this food you won't get any," Kiylee threatened her son, knowing the thought of not having dinner would make him turn tail and leave.

"Ok, ok, point taken," Kyle replied while backing away slowly from his mom and the stove with hands raised where she could see them. "I'm leaving."

"Bye," Rona waved to her brother as he left the kitchen and Kyle in turn made a face at her. "Mom!" she then shouted at the gesture her brother had made at her.

"Kyle," the ebony haired woman replied warningly without even turning around. Kyle chuckled as he left the kitchen and took up refuge in the living room. The young man flipped on the tv and flopped down on the couch, trying to find something to do while his dinner was being made.

-------------

People came and went from the restaurant known as _Little Tokyo. _The restaurant its self sat in the center of Toyama, amongst the various shops and other eateries. As small as it was, the place actually pulled in a lot of business. A few of the big businesses, along with the one Ryo worked at, sat close to where the restaurant was located. That gave the place a lot of orders and business around lunchtime.

Ryo sat, facing one of the far windows in the back of the eatery with his son in front of him. The ebony haired man glanced at his watch as the hands struck six o'clock and still his daughter had yet to show. Ryu smiled and shook his head as he watched his father. "I don't understand why you let her leave if you already knew she wasn't going to come when she was supposed to, Dad," the brown haired young man said to his father who was seated across from him.

Sighing, Ryo replied with, "Because I have a problem with telling my kids no when I know I should."

"Kids? Are you sure it's not just, kid?"

"Hai, I'm not so old that I don't remember giving you your way when I knew I shouldn't have as well," he retorted to his son with a smirk as he sat back in his seat, trying to relax as he waited for his daughter to show up. His eyes absently searched the faces of the people who passed by his window, looking for his daughter.

Ryu opened his mouth to reply to his father when he caught the sight of his sister sneaking up behind the black haired man who sat in front of him. Rylea put her index finger to her lips in signaling for him to not say anything. The young man half considered alerting his Dad to his sister's presence but instead sat back and decided to watch what she did instead ---figuring he might at least get a few chuckles out of it at his Dad's expense.

Two hands covered Ryo's vision, making everything go black without him knowing it and then a familiar voice came from somewhere beside him with, "Guess who." Chuckling he replied to the voice who still held their hands over his eyes, "You're late, Lea."

"How am I late?" the girl he'd spoken to retorted while retracting her hands from where they covered his eyes and slid into the booth beside him.

"I said be here by six and you got here at," he started and then glanced down at his watch before continuing with, "five minutes after six."

"Wow, I made record time then," sarcastically Rylea replied with a smile on her face while she clasped her hands together on top of the table. "So, did you guys order yet?"

"No," Ryu replied as he folded his arms over his chest and semi glared at his sister. "Dad wouldn't let me until you showed up."

"Aw, how nice of him. Well I'm here now so can we please order? I'm starving."

"You're always starving. So what else is new?" Ryu threw back at her, his voice giving way to how annoyed he was at her. She'd always been able to get her way no matter what and because of that he had been made wait to get his food.

"Don't start you two and I mean it," came Ryo's authoritative voice as he gave his children a stern glare. Rylea was too busy looking at the menu to even give him a second glance while Ryu had gone to staring off somewhere. "Did you two hear me?"

"Hai," his son grumbled out.

"Yep, read you loud and clear, Otosan," his daughter added while still glancing over the menu in her hand. Rylea looked up from her menu surfing now to peer over at her brother and father with a questioning look when the table had gone quiet. "Um," she started in an unsure voice. "We gonna order?"

"Yes, Lea we're going to order alright," Ryu snapped irritably from his seat across from her.

"Ok, but you didn't have to snap at me Rye. A simple 'yes, we're going to order sis' would have been just fine," the dark haired girl retorted just as angrily to her much older brother as her eyes narrowed into a glare at him. "Geez, someone sure is pms-ing."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" retorted Ryu while he leaned his face over the table closer to his sister's, glaring adamantly at her.

"It means you're acting like a girl who's a premenstrual case!" Rylea replied as she too, leaned her face in closer to her brother's and glared back.

"Knock it off!" Ryo ordered in a voice raised a little louder than his normal speaking voice. A couple heads from behind them turned to see what was going on and then just as quickly turned back around, uninterested in a family squabble. The black haired man glared threateningly at his children, almost daring them to say something else to the other. On instinct, the two rowdy kids went silent and said nothing else to each other, but continued to glare at one another.

Still not satisfied, Ryo continued to reprimand them. "What part of 'don't start' don't you two understand? You want to fight with each other than wait until we get home and you can both go at each other's throats for all I care," he stated to them while glancing from one to the other with a pointed glare. "Now, do you two understand this time what I just said and don't say yes if you don't because I can go into more detail for you if needed be."

"Hai, we got it," both of them droned in unison and then looked away from the other with a sneering glare.

"Good," he replied and his gaze lightened some what while he sat back in his seat again and the waitress came up to the table. Taking all three of there orders, the woman then smiled at them before then going off to give them to the cook.

A little while later the same waitress returned with the food they had ordered and dispersed it to its rightful owner. Thanking her, each began to eat his or hers own food in silence. Unexpectedly, something or someone in the restaurant alerted Rylea's senses of a demonic presence. She froze with chopsticks posed mid air and uneasily searched the small area for who or more like, whatever was there ---not knowing what exactly she was looking for. That other side of her started to awaken with the presence of evil close by, slowly stretching as it began to pace just below the surface ---desperately longing, wanting to be set free. Her skin began to tingle as she could sense that presence more now, sending cold shivers down her spine not in fear but in delight.

The two men sitting close to her glanced at each other and then back to the dark haired girl who sat frozen, or almost in a daze as she looked around at everything and everyone around them. Frowning, Ryo laid a hand on his daughter's shoulder and was surprised when she jumped as if startled out of her thoughts at his touch. "You ok?" he asked her with a concern laced voice.

"Yeah," immediately she replied back with a fake smile to reassure him while searching her brain for a lie to cover for her. "I just thought I saw someone I knew."

One dark eyebrow raised in uncertainty at her reply, but instead of pushing the issue more he simply let it drop and went back to his food. Ryu on the other hand wasn't so convinced. He didn't fall for the old 'I thought I saw someone I knew' trick, having seen his sister use the same one on his Dad so many times before that he knew it inside out. Clearing his throat and grabbing his pop up to take a swig from he said to her, "Who exactly did you think you saw, Lea?"

Two sets of vivid blue eyes came to rest on the brown haired man at his question. Ryo peered at his son in questioning, not sure of just what he was trying to get at. Rylea on the other hand glared at him silently as she replied back cheerily from behind gritted teeth, "Just someone. No one that you'd know."

"Oh really? Try me," he replied back challengingly and folded his arms on top of the table they sat at while resting his unwavering brown eyed gaze on her. He was enjoying making his sister squirm now under interrogation; this was his way of payback for making him wait to order his food. "I did go to the same school as you after all."

"I'll be right back," Rylea quickly replied while getting up from the table and taking off in the direction of the bathrooms in a way of escaping her brother's drilling.

Ryo flicked his blue eyed gaze back over to his son after he watched the fleeing back of his daughter head away from the booth they sat at. His questioning gaze brought a confused expression to the young man's face. "Nani?" Ryu asked the black haired man sitting across from him who still peered at him in that unsure, almost questioning way.

"Nothing," he replied back innocently with a shake of his dark head. "Nothing at all, Rye." The sound of crashing plates and dishes hitting the floor, along with angered shouts, alerted his attention to the commotion behind him now. "What the hell?" he said while scanning over the scene before him.

"I'm so sorry," a young waitress repeated again and again to the dark haired girl who now sat sprawled on the floor with food spread out all around her.

"Why don't you watch where you're going! What are you, blind or something?!" the dark haired girl raged back at her, obviously not listening to her apologies.

Ryo groaned as he and his son got up from the booth they had once been seated at and went to the aid of the girl sitting on the floor. Ryu tried as hard as he could to refrain from laughing at his sister's predicament, but found that it was harder than he had first thought. Busting out into laughter, he was immediately hushed by his father's less than amused glare in his direction. The brown haired man cleared his throat and regained control of his laughter at once, smiling sheepishly in his father's direction ---Ryo just shook his head at his son.

"I really am very sorry," the waitress once again said once she had the majority of the dishes picked back up and then extended her slender arm to the girl still sprawled on the floor. "Here, let me help you up." The waitress had luscious dark hair with spirals of gold, silver and red weaved through it and deep brown eyes. As simple as her waitress uniform was, it still seemed to show off her curvy figure.

Grumbling still, Rylea accepted her hand and immediately afterward wished she hadn't. An icy cold wave of power washed over her as the waitress pulled her to her feet and all her senses went haywire. Her Goddess powers clawed now to be let go and the sensation of having to use all her will to keep it locked up caused Rylea's vision to blur slightly. Jerking her hand back from the waitress as quickly as she could, the young Roninette then stared at her in stunned silence while trying to figure out what she could be.

The confused waitress blinked at her several times before then saying, "You ok?"

Rylea didn't reply. Mutely she just stared at the woman standing before her, almost mesmerized by her. The waitress then turned to the two men who had come up behind her and smiled apologetically, "I really am sorry about this. It's my first day and already I'm screwing up."

"Don't worry about it," Ryo replied as he waved off her apology with a smile.

"Yeah, if I know my sis she prolly walked right into you," Ryu added while snagging Rylea around the neck playfully, snapping the girl from her thoughts as well. Angrily the dark haired girl glared up at the boy who held his arm around her neck.

"I'm Ryo by the way," he said with a smile and extended his hand for the waitress to take.

"Miki," the waitress replied with her own smile and shook his hand. Discreetly her eyes wavered over Ryo's form for a few more seconds before she let go of his hand.

Coming out of her daze, Rylea smirked at the mention of her name and replied rather rudely, "Do you know your name means 'tree trunk'? I don't know about you but if my name meant tree trunk then I'd highly consider getting it changed."

A smile tugged at the corners of Ryu's mouth as he fought once again to keep from laughing and suddenly came down with a fit of coughing. Astonishment at how rude his daughter was acting flashed across Ryo's face before it was replaced with a not so happy glare at her. "Rylea Marie!" he scolded in a heated and ashamed voice as his eyes narrowed into a glare that meant she was in trouble.

"Nani?" the girl he was glaring at replied innocently as if she hadn't done anything wrong. Nonchantly she folded her arms over her chest and stubbornly held her head up in a challenge to his authority.

"Apologize to Miki now young lady," Ryo said to his daughter from behind gritted teeth. Not only was he enraged at the fact that she would say something like that to a stranger but was also embarrassed beyond belief at her. Rylea had been raised with more manners than what she was displaying now and the way she was acting reflected on himself as a parent.

Rylea didn't open her mouth or even make an attempt to apologize to the lady she had just been rude to ---just kept her back half turned to her as if she wasn't even standing there anymore. Mutely she glared back at her father, daring him to make her apologize to the waitress. Ryu looked in-between his glaring father and sister, sighing at the whole thing. Before his father could correct him he was already saying to the waitress standing before them, "I'm really sorry for my sister's comment. Please forgive her rudeness."

"Ryu don't apologize for your sister," Ryo reprimanded him, now turning his glaring gaze onto the young man who stood as tall as he was.

"Yeah, don't apologize for me," Rylea added in as she glanced up to throw an unhappy look up at her brother.

As the three family members argued amongst themselves, the waitress watched in somewhat startled confusion. Clearing her throat to hopefully gain someone's attention she said, "It's ok, really. I get that a lot."

"Yeah Dad, so that means I'm not saying sorry or taking back what I said," came the slightly more than angered voice of Rylea as she glared stubbornly back at the black haired man.

Ryo was silent for a moment as he struggled to keep a hold on his temper. He pursed his lips together until they were nothing more than one thin line and his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. Sensing that his father was nearing the end of his rope, Ryu spoke up into the conversation again, "Um, we still have food that needs to be eaten."

"So get some boxes for it," Ryo replied back to his son and willed himself to peel his glaring eyes from his daughter long enough to look over at him and say, "We're leaving."

"Ok then, I'll get right on that," the brown haired man retorted almost too cheerily and then left the other three people to pack the food up.

When he was gone Ryo turned back to his daughter with a forced, almost angered beyond belief smile and said, "I'm going to go pay for the food and guess what you're going to do."

"Um, stand here?"

"No, you're going to go to the car," he replied back and then once his daughter had left for the car he turned to the waitress still standing there with an apologetic look on his face and said, "I'm really sorry about the way my daughter behaved. I don't know what came over her, she usually isn't like that to strangers."

The woman smiled back and her deep brown eyes twinkled. Tossing her dark tresses over her shoulder in a discrete but seductive way she replied nonchantly, "Like I said before, it's ok. No hard feelings or anything."

"Good to hear," Ryo replied with a warm smile to her and then added. "Well, I've got a check to pay and a child waiting in the car for my wrath. Hope you have a nice day." Waving to her, he left to go pay his check and then left the restaurant.

As quickly as he had gone then the smile on the woman's face melted into a feral grin as she watched him get in the car and drive off. Licking her bottom lip seductively she said to her self, "So that's the Sanada family. Shouldn't be too much of a challenge for me." Chuckling sweetly she then added, "At least the father is pleasing to look at. Makes my job a lot better, not to mention fun." Turning from the big picture window that sat before her then, the woman walked back towards the kitchen with a sly smirk spread over her lips.

--------------

Small talk sounded around the table as the Hashiba family sat down to dinner. It was a rare thing for Rowen to actually sit down and have dinner with his family but today he had made a point of making sure he was home. Now he sat next to his wife Kiylee at the table with his two kids, Kyle and Rona seated beside them, devouring his meal. "Mfm mm mfm," Kyle said around a mouth full of food he was still chewing.

"What was that? I couldn't understand you with all that food in your mouth," Kiylee replied to her son from across the table with a humorous smile on her face.

"I said," Kyle started as he swallowed the food in his mouth. "This is really good."

"Well thanks sweetie, but you missed some," she said and motioned to the corner of her mouth with her index finger to show him where he had food.

Rona laughed as she watched her brother lick the missed food from the corner of his mouth. Swallowing the food that she had been chewing, she then turned her attention onto her mom and said, "So, what was the thing you were talking about earlier that could wait til now?"

"That's right," Rowen added as he came into the conversation, peeling himself from his meal to look at his wife. "What was the important news that I just had to be home to hear, Kiy."

"Well," Kiylee drawled out as she placed her own fork down and looked around at the faces of her family seated around her.

"Yes? Well..... What?" Rowen said, urging her to go on with what she was going to say.

Kiylee smiled more as she let the tension build in the room, envisioning what each of their faces would look like once she had told them what the important news was. Kyle now chuckled as he said, "Come on mom, tell us."

"Ok, ok," she said while resigning herself finally to stop teasing them all about it. Taking a deep breath she smiled and pronounced happily, "I'm pregnant."

Choking sounds came from beside her as Rowen almost choked on his bite of food. Kyle came to his father's aid as he hit him on the back. Rona stared, wide eyed at her mother, not saying a word. Silence fell over the table as Rowen's choking had now ended. You could have heard a pin drop it was so quiet. Kiylee's smile faded into a frown as she glanced around at everyone. This wasn't exactly the response she had envisioned getting from her family. "Well, isn't anyone going to at least act like they care?" she asked, seemingly a little more than offended by the fact that no one had bothered to say something nice about it.

"You're pregnant?" Rowen replied in somewhat of a stunned fashion as he raised one blue eyebrow in question.

"Hai, isn't that what I just said?"

"How far along are you?" Kyle asked next, coming out of his once shocked stupor that he'd have one more younger sibling.

"Two months," Kiylee replied to her son.

"Boy or girl?" Rona asked, somewhat indifferent about the whole thing, even happy that she'd have a younger sibling to take care of.

"That's the thing," Kiylee drawled out and nervously went to twiddling her thumbs under the table.

Rowen smirked at his wife, just knowing there had been something she wasn't telling them all. The thing that bothered him the most, almost made him uneasy, was the fact that she looked nervous about something. Gaining the courage to ask he said, "What's the _thing_ you haven't told us?"

Kiylee was silent for a minute as she contemplated telling them all now or waiting until later after the initial shock that she was pregnant had passed. Thinking it'd be better to just get it all out in the open right now, Kiylee closed her eyes and replied, "I'm having twins."

Three jaws hit the floor at her statement along with a fork and someone's food that was about to go into their mouth. A deafening silence fell over the kitchen at the news that there would be two new additions to the family. Nervously, Kiylee glanced over at her husband and smiled sheepishly at the completely thrown for a loop expression she found there. No words could describe how dumbfounded everyone at that table was.

The phone rang unexpectedly and made them jump. "I got it," Rona chorused while hurrying to grab the phone and then left the now devastated kitchen to the confinement of her room where she could take the call.

Clearing his throat, Kyle smiled once again and began to eat his food. "Man, did I say how good this meal is?" he asked cheerily, trying to lighten the mood in the room. Two annoyed faces came as his reply and Kyle took the hint that it wasn't joking time as he ate the rest of his food in silence.

------------

Heather twirled one blond strand of hair around her finger as she sat on her bed with the phone held to her ear. Long since dried tears still stained her face and no words could describe how terrible and confused she looked. Sighing, the girl brushed the few pieces of hair that had fallen into her eyes from her face. Drawing her knees up close to her chest she said into the phone to Rona who was on the other end, "Everything just seems so weird, so wrong. My Dad's already moved most of his stuff out and has somewhere else to live while my mom acts like she's taken a vow of silence. I thought my teenage years were supposed to be the best years of my life, not the worst."

Silence followed while she listened to the blue haired genius talk on the other end and then her eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "No way! Your mom's pregnant?" A pause came as she listened once again to her talking and then added, "Well, I think that's great news. Too bad my parents aren't going to have another kid. I'd love to have a little brother or sister."

A knock came at her bedroom door and then her mother's sandy blond head popped out from behind it. "Heather? It's time to eat if you want to come to the table," she said to her in a voice that lacked emotion.

Putting her hand up to the bottom end of the phone Heather replied, "Alright, I'll be right there," and then her mom left the room, shutting the door behind her again. "I have to go, it's time to eat. So, should I call you later or no?" she said into the phone.

Pausing to hear what Rona's response would be, Heather then said, "Alright, talk to you later then. Bye," and hung up her phone. Sighing, the blond haired girl forced herself to get up from her bed and head to the table ---preparing herself for the sense of emptiness and incompletion she would find there.

Coming into the kitchen she found her mom sitting at the table, picking at her food with fresh tears falling down her face. A feeling of grief filled the young Roninette of Halo at the sight of her mother looking just as lost and confused, as she felt right then. Tentatively she entered into the room, not really wanting to disturb her but thought that maybe her company would make the woman feel better.

Hannah Date's head jerked up at the sound of footsteps and quickly she wiped away the tears that had fallen down her face. Putting on a strained smile, she sniffed and said, "Heather, you'd better eat your dinner before it gets cold hunny."

Ignoring her seat with the plate of food sat in front of it, Heather went straight for where her mom sat. Wrapping her arms tightly around her mother's shoulders she hugged her silently, feeling comfort and security from it. Hannah blinked in confusion at her daughter's actions before she hesitantly returned the hug. Stroking Heather's golden blond hair she whispered to her, "It's going to be ok baby. Everything's going to be ok."

Pulling back from her mother's embrace, Heather eyed her for a few silent moments. She'd never seen her mom look this bad before in her life. There was no make up on the sandy blond haired woman's face. Her hair had just been pulled up into a messy ponytail instead of being down and did into its normal professional looking style. Confusion and betrayal could be read clearly on her face even though she tried to hide it with a smile here or there. Hannah looked like her world had just fallen apart.

Frowning at her mother's appearance Heather said pointedly, "No it's not." Hannah glanced up with a questioning gaze at her daughter's remark, taken off guard by it. Before her mom could say anything Heather continued on, "Nothing is ever going to be the same or right ever again. You know it and I know it. Mom you look the worst I've ever seen you and I know why. You can't get over the fact that Dad's gone and for good this time. He's not just staying at a friend's house for a couple days while you two blow off some steam...... He's really gone. He's gone mom and now everything is turned upside down because of it."

Recognition settled over Hannah's face as Heather's words set in and actually registered with her for the first time since Sage had dropped the mother of all bombs on her with laying divorce papers down in front of her to sign. She hadn't wanted to accept it. She didn't want to believe that her marriage to the man she thought loved her and that she had given two children to, was over. Even now when she slept in her bed at night alone, wishing that he were there, she still couldn't come to terms with it. To her it still seemed like it was just something that was all just going to blow over and he'd be back ---but he wasn't going to be coming back this time. There was going to be no making up after a fight. It was over for them.

Sighing as new tears welled in her eyes, Hannah looked up into the face of her daughter, her and Sage's daughter and said, "You're right. You are absolutely right, Heather. I don't want to come to terms with it just yet because I'm not sure that I could actually handle it. Just not right now."

Heather was at a loss of words now. She didn't know how to reply to what her mother had said or even if she should say anything. Silence fell over the two, an uneasy silence that was deafening. A door shut in the front room and the sounds of keys jingling alerted the two in the kitchen of another person in the house. Footsteps came around the corner and into the kitchen before Hojo was even seen. The young man stopped once he had reached his destination and stared at his mother and sister, an eyebrow slowly rolling up in question to what was going on.

"I thought you wouldn't be home for dinner tonight?" Hannah said to her son as she got up from her seat at the table and headed to pull another plate from the dish rack.

"Dad couldn't stay long, he had things to take care of so I just figured I'd come back here," the blond boy who bared a striking resemblance to his father said while taking a seat at the table. A plate crashing to the floor alerted Heather and Hojo's attention to their mother who stood at the sink, broken fragments of the plate lay at her feet while she gripped the sink.

Hojo glanced at his sister and both shared the same unsure look on their faces. Turning her gaze onto her mother's back Heather said tentatively, "Mom? You ok?"

"Yeah," came the shaky reply from Hannah as she tipped her head back and sniffed before bending down to start picking up the pieces of the broken plate.

"Here let me get that," Hojo offered while getting up from his seat at the table to go to his mother's aid. Hannah protested but Hojo wouldn't hear it as he cleaned up the mess and directed her to the living room. Once his mom had left the room, the young blond man looked at his sister and both knew what the other was thinking without any words having to be said.

Silence fell over the room then as Hojo worked to finish cleaning up the broken plate mess and his sister had gotten up, without even glancing at her food that still sat at the table untouched, and walked back down the hall to her room. Sighing, Hojo ran a hand through his hair and sat down at the kitchen table. He didn't know what to do right then. Didn't know what to do to help his mom and that made him feel terrible. Putting his hands on his face, the young man sat at the table quietly, his thoughts over whelming him.

------------------

****

A/N: Well, once again, pretty dull chappie with exception of a few things here or there. Sometimes starting out stories can be so boring. Oh well, it'll get better as it goes on. Actually, well, I won't say anything. Don't want to spoil anything that's coming up. Well thanks this time go out to Rogue, MorganRay (twice) and LG for actually pre reading this thing for me. Feeling lazy right now so I'll wait to post the other one. Curious as to how many reviews I can get before I post it though.


	4. Chapter Three

****

::Chapter 3::

"Rylea stop that right this instance!" bellowed the old man as he pointed his wooden staff threateningly in the dark haired girl's direction. His graying hair tumbled over his shoulders as he wildly shook the staff at her; envisioning it hitting her on the head. "Don't you make me come over there!"

The girl he had shouted at stopped her horsing around and put her hands behind her back, hiding the Ipod she held out of his sight while innocently blinking at him as if she didn't know she had been doing something wrong. "Stop what?" she asked innocently while giving the aging man her full attention.

Leinto, the charge to the Roninettes, curled his fingers tightly around the staff he held in his right hand ---trying to keep the urge to hit her at bay. "You know full well what," he replied from behind gritted teeth and then shouted at her, "Stop horsing around and pay attention!"

Rylea winced at his voice while a few chuckles from her friends around her sounded at the girl being scolded by the old man. Chuckling as if it was no big deal to her, she replied, "Geez Leinto, Prozac might just be a good thing for you ya know?"

The old man only glared more at her as he retorted, "No, what would be a good thing for me would to able to get through one training session, just one training session, without you goofing around!"

"But it's so hard to do," she whined back in her own defense. "You make this so boring."

"Oy vey," Leinto muttered while dragging one wrinkled hand down his face, looking up at the sky as he mumbled to himself, "What was I thinking when I took this job? What was I thinking?"

"Ah.... you actually think Leinto?"

"Yes I think!" he snapped angrily back at Rylea's comment, his gray eyes raging in that crazy, wild way. Sighing he regained his composer and then ordered, "Ok, lets just break up into groups and do some sparring. Kami, Heather you two will be one group." Turning his attention from the two girls he then looked over at the blue and white subarmored girl and continued in an almost regretful voice, "Rona, as much as I hate to say this, I will need you, Keish and Rylea to be the other group."

Rona shrugged indifferently and replied, "Not a problem."

"Yet," Keish added with a mischievous grin before laughing and giving the red and white subarmored girl beside her a high five. The blue haired girl didn't look too amused by their actions.

Looking to the sky, Leinto counted backwards from ten to calm himself before he addressed the team before him again. Feeling that he was calm enough he said to them now in a voice that sounded like he were forcing himself to speak in a somewhat calm voice, "While sparring I want you all to focus on-"

"I love the way you move! I love the way you move, woo oo oo, I love the way you move!" Rylea sang out, cutting the charge off as she danced in between Keish and Rona in her subarmor with eyes closed and Ipod held in her hand. She seemed to be not paying attention to him in the least bit as she enjoyed the music playing.

A few laughs and some eye rolls came at her actions, none were new to Rylea's playful nature at all. If anything the four girls were all used to it by now. The one thing that surprised them, was the fact that she was actually able to dance in her subarmor just like she would if she weren't wearing it. So needless to say the sight of Rylea dancing around to whatever was playing on her Ipod in her subarmor, brought some laughter from a few of the girls that were watching. Rona on the other hand just shook her head while placing one armored hand over her face in embarrassment at her cousin's behavior.

Gray eyes narrowed dangerously at the dark haired girl as she continued to dance and occasionally belt out a line or two to the song, oblivious to anyone else around her or for that matter, what she was really supposed to be doing right then. His patience with her was running thin and there was only so much more of her antics he could take before snapping on her. As if in a way to subdue the need to hit her with the staff in his hand, the old man twisted it in his hands, a mad gleam seemed to shine in his eyes as he did so. Grinding his teeth together out of frustration, Leinto stomped over to the girl and with one swift move of his hand jerked the small white device from Rylea's grip ---putting an end to her moment of play time.

Being stopped so suddenly from her current activities, the young Roninette of Wildfire reeled back, arms flaying in the air; almost falling over in the process. She blinked a few times before the glaring face of the old man before her set in and she knew she was in trouble. Refusing to submit to the charge's authority, though, Rylea now smirked and said while holding her hand out, "Um, that's kinda mine and I'd like it back now if you don't mind."

An impish smile slid across the old man's wrinkled face as he held up the thing that Rylea wanted back. His gray eyes twinkled as he replied back, "You want this?"

"Ah, yeah I would."

"Would you now," he retorted with a smug smile before then turning to the other four girls standing around him. Addressing them all now with his back turned to the girl who's property he held in his hand, he said, "You hear that, Rylea would like this... Whatever this thing is, back. Well girls, before Rylea can have her toy back she must now fight all four of you at the same time and win."

"Huh?!" exclaimed the dark haired girl in disbelief.

"All of us?" asked the unsure voice of Kami. "Um, Leinto do you think that's such a good idea?"

"Of course I do, after all," he started and then threw a smirk over his shoulder at the now glaring girl behind him. "She is a ninja after all. I think she can take care of her self pretty well."

"Yeah well ninja or not, you're going down, Lea," Keish said confidently to her now red and white subarmored opponent while she cracked her knuckles.

"Is that so?" challenged the girl while she placed her hands on her hips in that cocky way and a grin spread happily across her face; making her eyes seem to gleam with mischief.

"Yeah that's so," Keish retorted and leveled the dark haired girl with her own expression of challenge.

"I for one don't want to do this!" Rona's voice broke the competition between the two Roninettes as she raised one arm high in the air. "I think this is stupid and a waste of our time. Plus, that's not even fair. Four against one? Come on."

"I'll be fine," argued Rylea while she still stared down the ash-blue haired girl before her. "It's the rest of you that I'm worried about. Wouldn't want to hurt any of you or anything."

"Oh don't you worry bout that. I don't plan on gettin hurt by you," Keish countered her remark with a smirk.

"I agree with Rona, I don't want to fight Rylea like this," Kami added her opinion into the conversation now as she nervously twirled her hair around her finger. The girl now chewed on her bottom lip as she looked around at the faces of the others surrounding her.

Heather shrugged her shoulders as if in a bored fashion, surveying over the nail job she had just had done while saying, "I don't care either way."

"Well you should blondie because I'm gonna wipe the ground with you," taunted Rylea with a smug, almost boasting smirk on her face. She was having fun taunting them all into fighting her.

"Blondie?" Heather repeated with one perfectly shaped eyebrow going up. Her eyes then slanted into a glare at the dark haired girl as she said, "Listen up, _Sanada_, I may not fight as much as you do but I can still fight and I will beat you down. Got it?"

Rylea busted out into a laugh at Heather's threat, grabbing at her sides as tears fell down her face. "Oh ho, that's a good one. You? Beat me? Ha ha ha ha," she chortled out between her laughs while doubling over in laughter.

Heather growled as her hands balled into fists at her sides. The red subarmored girl's laughter at her declaration angered her to no end. Before anyone could stop her, Heather had growled out angrily and leapt onto Rylea, knocking her to the ground as she pinned the laughing girl underneath her. Immediately Rylea's laughter ended as she stared up into the unhappy face of the blond girl. "Still think what I said was funny?" Heather sneered down at her, pushing her harder into the ground under them with her knee.

"Actually I do," the girl beneath her retorted while she brought her knees up and pushing them upward threw the green and white subarmored girl off her, sending her sailing through the air heels over head and landing with a loud thud on the hard ground; the wind completely knocked from her lungs. Moving quickly, she then tackled the blond girl, pinning her beneath her with a grin. "Give up yet?" she asked with a smile down at the fuming face of Heather.

"No!" she shouted back while flipping the dark haired girl off her and then climbed back to her feet.

Rylea calmly climbed back to her feet, making a point of dusting her armor off as if in a taunt to Heather. Chuckling, she whipped her wild bangs out of her face and laid her blue eyed gaze on the green subarmored girl standing directly across from her, ready to fight it looked. "Oh yeah!" Keish chanted from the sidelines where the others and her had gathered to watch the fight take place between the two. "Kick her ass, Lea! Get her girl, you know you can!"

"Quit urging them into fighting, Keish!" Rona shot back at the ash-blue haired girl with a sharp glare. "We want them to stop, not continue on."

"Says you," she retorted smugly with crossed arms. "I wanna see my girl Lea beat down little miss priss, if you don' mind."

"I do mind," Rona and Kami chorused together with annoyed glares pointed on her. Keish took a faltering step back from the two angered Roninettes with arms raised in a defensive way and blinked several times at them.

Rylea and Heather, however, were ignoring the chanting and bickering coming from the sidelines. Their attention was directed at each other as they stood at opposite ends, staring each other down like in one of those old westerns. Neither moved, both were waiting for the other to make the first move. A light breeze kicked up, rustling their hair and making the branches sway over head. Still they stared each other down, with no sign that either were going to move anytime soon.

Smirking, Rylea suddenly said, "The hell with this. I ain't gonna just stand here all day," and lunged at Heather.

The blond, doing just as Rylea thought she would, dodged to the right of her and played right into her plan. Bringing her right leg up in snapping kick, Heather barely leaned out of the way to dodge it, but left her self open for Rylea's next attack. Moving so swiftly, Heather barely had time to register what she was doing before Rylea had gone down to almost a kneeling position as she kicked Heather's legs out from under her and then back hand sprung away from the girl as she fell to the ground. Instinctively, though, the blond girl rolled and climbed back to her feet and into a fighting stance.

Rylea clapped, not in an I'm-impressed kind of way, but more like a bored whoopee kind of way. "Wow Heather, I didn't know you knew how to do that," the young Roninette leader sneered with a grin. "Do they teach you that in cheerleading?"

"Shut up!" Heather shouted back as she rushed in to attack Rylea.

The Roninette of Wildfire simply dodged Heather's attacks with little or no effort which only seemed to infuriate the Roninette of Halo even more. Growling with rage she spun around and barely clipped Rylea in the side of her face with her armored foot. The dark haired girl was knocked off balance momentarily before she caught herself again. A gasping silence fell over the training area as everyone stood in shock at what they had just witnessed. Heather herself was in disbelief that she had actually landed a hit on the most skillful fighter of the group.

A chuckle came from the hit girl as she gently touched her face where Heather's foot had come in contact with her and licked her lip to remove the small trickle of blood that had formed there. Cocking her head to the side with a smile starting to form on it, she said to the green clad warrior, "Ya know, next time you should try putting more power behind your kick and maybe you'll actually hurt me."

Heather's light blue eyes only glared back at her in a silent loathing of hatred. Without another word said to her or anyone else, she turned on her heels and stormed away from the training circle. Shedding her subarmor, she angrily picked up her jean jacket and back pack from where it laid on the ground, shouldering it and without even waiting for Leinto to dismiss them all for the day, left the training session. Leaving behind her four very confused girls and a frowning charge.

Sighing, the charge Leinto turned his gaze away from the fleeing back of Heather and turned back to the other girls standing there. "Right then," he started and then cleared his throat before continuing with, "You are all dismissed for the day. I will see you tomorrow after school."

"Well it's about time," Keish grumbled as she shed her subarmor and went to pick up her backpack from where it rested against one of the large trees surrounding the area.

"Someone should go catch up with her and see if she's ok," the soft voice of Kami said pointedly as she too, shed her armor and now shouldered her book bag. Her light sea green eyes held worry in them for her friend.

"Yeah since _someone _couldn't just go easy on her for once," Rona added in from beside Kami where she stood minus subarmor and book bag now straddling her back. Her purple-blue eyes glared angrily at her cousin.

"Eh," Rylea said while grabbing up her book bag, shrugging disinterestedly with the whole thing. "She'll get over it."

"That's not the point," Rona argued back, one hand now settled on her hip in that lecturing type way while her other was pointing accusingly at her cousin. "The last thing Heather needs in her life right now is you acting all bitchy towards her. She's got enough going on right now without having to deal with your attitude as well."

"Rona, just what the hell are you talking about?" came the more than annoyed response from the shaggy dark haired girl as she hooked her thumbs under the straps of the backpack that hung from her back and leveled her with a not-so-caring look.

"You don't know?" Kami piped up from beside Rona, her brows knitted in a frown of confusion.

"Know what?"

"Uncle Sage and Aunt Hannah are getting a divorce," Keish now said into the conversation from where she stood shrugging her back pack on.

Rylea's mouth made a 'oh' shape as the news settled in with her, then just as suddenly was replaced with a glare as she asked, "How come I'm always the last one to know everything?"

"Because your always in trouble so none of us ever get the chance to tell you anything," the blue haired girl replied sarcastically as she ran off to catch up with Heather before the blond haired girl could get too far away. Kami followed after her, their footfalls sounding off into the distance as they faded away.

A smirk now cradled Rylea's face as she watched them disappear into the distance. Waving off the two she said to Keish who stood next to her, "Oh who needs them and Heather's problems. I've got enough of them myself as it is without having hers added to them as well. Let's go find someone to annoy, what do you say, Keish?"

"Unfortunately for you, Rylea, you won't be able to do that," Leinto's voice cut into the two girls conversation as he ambled up beside them, leaning heavily on his staff to keep him standing. The old man looked very worn out as his face was beginning to flush from the still hot day. His eyes twinkled with suppressed mirth as he said, "You and I have some more training to do."

"Aw," Rylea whined now as she cocked her head to the side to look over her shoulder at him. Keish snickered beside her. "Leinto come on. Do we have to?"

"Yes," the charge nodded his head firmly as his stern gaze fell onto her. "We can't put this kind of training off, Rylea."

"I'll catch ya later girl," Keish now said as she walked backwards, waving to Rylea before turning and heading off the way her other friends had gone.

Rylea watched her run off, anger at being made stay behind instead running off with the others surged through her. Growling, she turned on her heels and tramped after the aging old man as he walked towards the open area they used for training. He stopped, waving his arm in the air as if he were waving a hello to someone unseen and then the air began to waver. A temple appeared from out of thin air it seemed, but in reality it had been there all along, hidden from sight from everyone.

Leinto started up the large stone steps that led up to the columns and open doorway, his sandals clicking on the marbled stone as he walked. Rylea trudged after him, her sneakers screeching as she drug her feet while she walked, purposely trying to annoy the old man ahead of her but Leinto paid her no never mind. Coming through the open doorway into the temple she was met with the huge open hall of the temple, sunlight coming trough the skylight over head reflecting off the polished marbled floor below it. Huge columns rose up from the floor and ended at the top, holding the ceiling above her up.

There foot steps echoed in the large open area as they walked in. A small doorway to her right led off somewhere but Leinto had never told her where. She figured it was probably just his bed room or something. Taking the book bag from her shoulders, Rylea dropped it next to one of the large columns by the door and the sound of it dropping echoed and amplified throughout the room. Leinto never turned around as he continued into the temple, his staff softly hit the floor as he walked, making a clanking sound.

When he was at the far end he rested his staff against the wall and then turned around to look at the young girl behind him. His gaze then lifted up to the skylight and the sunlight coming through in large columns of light and falling down onto the marbled floor below. He could see the dust and other particles fluttering around in the sunlight. This temple belonged to the Guardians, the higher power he answered to. In all his years as a charge and mentor to the young warriors who protected this world against all evils in the world, Leinto had never been faced with this kind of a problem before. Had never been asked by the Guardians themselves to take someone like Rylea into the temple knowing what she was.

Evil was not permitted in this sanctuary, could not pass through the doorway and come in and yet they were allowing her to come in. Even though Rylea was a demon, the one demon they had all feared would resurface again and had. She was the reason why he had been sent by them in the first place. They were afraid that it would happen ---and it had.

"Come into the center of the room, Rylea," Leinto instructed of the young girl, coming out of his thoughts of what he was supposed to be doing. He had to keep reminding himself that she was a telepath and even though she was not permitted to look into his mind, that didn't mean that she was going to heed to it. Rylea had a problem with not only authority but following the rules as well and that had now become clear to Leinto.

Doing as she had been told, Rylea took her hands from her back pockets of the jeans she wore and walked out to the center of the room, her foot falls sounding around her. She stopped in the middle of the room and gazed up into the open sky above her, her shaggy dark hair falling off her shoulders and down her back as she tilted her head up. Leinto's warm gray eyes watched her, a small smile of fatherly love crossing over his face at how innocent she looked at that moment. In the short time that he had been mentor to all of them he had come to love all of them as if they were his own; even Rylea.

His heart went out to her. He felt her pain, her longing and her fears. He knew that deep down, beneath that sarcastic, tough exterior that she tried to portray to others there was a little girl who just wanted to have her mother, just wanted a family; wanted her life back. It made Leinto's heart ache for her when he thought about it. She didn't deserve what had happened to her. Didn't deserve the curse that had been bestowed upon her, but there was nothing he could do to change what had happened. There was nothing himself or even the Guardians could do to take away that demonic side and powers she had been given. All he could do, or try to do, was teach her to control and use the powers to her advantage so that the demons couldn't turn her into a Goddess again.

The first thing he had to do, was somehow help her to don her armor. The armor that had been given to her, her birthright armor; the armor she needed in order to survive. That was his first task to conquer. "Now," he said and snapped the girl from her gazing. "I need you to put on your subarmor."

Rolling her eyes at his request, she obediently pulled the red yori orb from her back pocket and then held it out in front of her before squeezing it tightly in her hand and a red light raced from her hand and traveled up her arm and over her body. Rylea closed her eyes now as she felt the familiar weight of the subarmor close in around her and form on her body. When she opened her eyes again she stood in the subarmor her father once had worn, the light streaming in from the skylight and gleaming off the metal that incased her. Shaking her head to knock her shaggy hair free from the subarmor she then laid her blue eyed gaze out onto the charge, waiting for his next instruction.

Leinto nodded his head approvingly at her then took a few steps out towards her, his eyes now hard with concentration as he looked at the young girl before him. "Ok," he started and stopped his walking. "I need you to call forth your armor."

"Leinto," the girl replied and her hands came to rest on her hips, "You know I can't."

"Try," was all he said and his eyes urged her to go ahead.

Sighing, Rylea let her hands drop from her hips in defeat, knowing that there was no way she would be able to get home if she didn't placate him. Setting a determined frown on her face, she closed her eyes briefly and then opened them again, ready for the once again disappointment that would follow this. Taking a deep breath in she raised her right arm high into the air and swung her left out in front of her while saying, "Armor of the Wildfire," then her left hand came up to meet her right and gripped onto the wrist of her right hand as she brought both arms down out in front of her; her right leg now stepping back a step as she finished with, "Dao Jin!"

Nothing happened. No flash of lights, no starting of the armor coming forth and then returning to its resting place ---just nothing at all. Growling, Rylea let go of the position she was in and stood up straight again as what happened every time she tried to call forth her armor happened once again. Disappointment, anger, frustration, and grief flooded across her face in one jumbled mask. Why couldn't she call forth the armor of Wildfire? Rylea knew why. The armor of Wildfire wouldn't let her call on it because she was a demon. Evil coursed through her veins and it could sense it in her ---that's why the armor refused to come to her.

A frown crossed over Leinto's features. This whole thing was troubling to him. She was allowed into the sanctuary of the Guardians even though she holds evil within her, but she can't call on her armor? Something just wasn't connecting somewhere. Stepping closer to her he said, "Try to call on it again."

"It's no use, Leinto," her low and emotion filled voice replied before she lifted her head and her shaking blue eyes looked back at him. "We have tried and tried and tried to make this stupid armor come forth and it won't. It won't." Rylea looked away from him then, chuckling as if she found this all funny in someway or just laughing to try and hide the sadness in her voice. She shook her head and held her arms out wide while saying, "Look at me, Leinto. I'm a frickin demon, a demoness, a hybrid, half breed, an ancient Goddess reincarnated for Christ sake! Why would the armor with a kanji of virtue and righteousness let me bear it? Think about it!"

"Rylea," Leinto's calm, soothing voice said as he walked out to her. He knew it was going to be just a matter of time before she began to crack under all of this and the time had finally come. His weathered hands reached out and laid themselves gently upon her shoulders as his warm gray eyes gazed down at her. "You are the one destined to bear this armor and you will. It's in your blood. You're a Sanada, a girl who comes from a long line of armor bearers. Your father was and still is one of the greatest warriors I know. You can't just block that out and dwell only on the negatives about yourself."

"That all may be in my blood," she spat back at him while wrenching herself away from his touch, her blue eyes blazing with anger now as she looked up at him. "But I can't ignore the fact that evil is also in my blood." Darting away from him she recalled her subarmor and jerked up her backpack from where it laid by the door. Trying now to hide the tears that were now falling down her face from Leinto as she ran from the temple and out into the bright sunshine of the day; heading away from the training area and out to the City that sat before her.

The charge's gray eyes stared after her, his shoulders slouching in defeat. She was right. They couldn't just ignore the fact that evil was now also in her blood, a part of her; a part of who she was. They could put on blinders and try to forget, but it wasn't going to change it. Sighing, he turned now and headed for the doors that he had not told Rylea about. The old man needed the wisdom and guidance of the Guardians on this whole situation. Opening the doors, he was met with the swirling, gold, white and silver vortex that led into the Guardian dimension. Holding his head high, he threw his shoulders back and stepped through the portal, being instantly transported into the world he needed to be in right then.

---------

Tears, hot, angry, confused tears dotted her face and ran down her cheeks. Bright blue eyes blazed with hatred for what she was, what she had become; for who had made her this way. Blindly she walked down the sidewalks of Toyama City, not caring who saw the tears on her face or who she bumped into along the way. Her eyes scanned the crowds of people, their thoughts, musings and worries weaving in and out of her mind. She clamped her hands over her ears, trying to block out their words but knew that it was no use. Sometimes she hated the gift of telepathy.

Bursting through the large crowd of people, the girl ran down the sidewalk and into the crosswalk, barely missing being hit by a car as it screeched on its brakes and the driver leaned out his window to shout angry words at her in Japanese. She ignored the man's words while continuing down the path she was on. Her sights were set on one place. On one person.

Leaving the bustling City behind her, she continued on down into the outskirts of the town where the demons and other various non-human creatures who wanted to live in the human world in peace gathered. A cold shiver ran down her spine and her dark powers began to stir like they always did whenever she came into this side of town. Anything resembling an evil aura or presence awakened that unwanted side of her.

Her eyes, now alert to evil close by, searched the shadows and alleyways, looking for anything that could give way to the hiding place of any kind of demon. With a smirk, she decided to use her new gift and telepathically reached out, searching the air for any thoughts or powers from a demon. She found none, but couldn't put that other side of her at rest. Her hands now began to clench and unclench themselves as if they could sense the feel of a fight coming on even though she couldn't. Lately, her body had seemed to have a mind of its own and she had learned not to argue with it at times like this.

Something darted to her right and the girl froze. Her head whipped around, dark shaggy hair flying through the air as she searched around. Nothing was there now. _It was just my imagination. _She tried to reassure herself but something deep down told her differently. Picking her pace back up she turned her head back to look ahead of her again as she began to walk back down the sidewalk again. Then it hit her. Where was everyone? The streets she walked down were completely still, no one, not even a shadow demon could be seen. This was very unusual for not only the time of the day, but also for where she was.

She stopped walking now, a frown settling over her features as she looked around, letting her senses and mind search over everything. A thick, still feeling hung in the air and hovered around her. Her skin began to tingle, power starting to pace just below the surface, getting ready to be used. Someone or more like something was following her. Somewhere amongst the buildings, streets and endless shadows, there was a lurking presence watching her.

__

Come out, come out, where ever you are. She let her words flow out telepathically, hoping to catch whoever was following her with them. Her body began to tense now and she turned around slowly, eyes still alert and watchful for any movement. Newspapers rustled and blew in the slight breeze that had picked up, alerting her eyes of movement, but not the kind she had been anticipating. A smirk, feral, almost predatory like slipped across her lips as she chuckled lightly and turned to walk away again, thinking that it had been her imagination after all. Her body and senses said other wise though.

Then it came. Out of no where a chain came at her, wrapping itself around her middle and tugged her back; sending the girl slamming into the hard pavement and sprawling out. Pain surged through her and she bit her lip to keep from screaming. Chuckling came from somewhere over her but her head was turned away to whoever had made the noise. The jingling of a chain being dragged along the pavement came to her ears now, alerting her to another's presence. Two of them, there was two of them.

Rolling over onto her hands and knees she picked her head up and looked around, trying to see who her assailants were. A steel toed boot came into her line of vision and she traveled her eyes upwards to find a face to go along with it. Green eyes stared down at her, sandy brown curls tumbling around his face as he cocked his head to the side. The cuffs on his shirt had been rolled up to his elbows and left unbuttoned, the wife beater under it tucked into his jeans. A chain dangled from his right hand, teasingly being snaked back and forth across the asphalt.

A second person came into her field of vision now. This one wore a black muscle T-shirt and jeans with the bottoms of his jeans half tucked into his lumberman's boots. His dark eyes twinkled as he flicked the shaggy dark hair from his eyes. "She the one?" he spoke to the other one standing over her.

"Yeah," he replied back, a wide smile spreading over his face. "I can feel it. She's that demon Rylea everyone's been hunting down."

The girl rolled her eyes now as a smirk captured her lips and before either of them knew what was going on, she had swept the feet out from under the one standing over her and jumped back to her own feet. The dark haired one came at her now, fists flying as he tried to hit her. Rylea dodged his first swing and then caught his second one; surprising her attacker. "Didn't your mother ever teach you it's not polite to hit a lady?" she asked sarcastically before pulling back and punching him in the face, breaking his nose in the process. With a smirk and a slight shrug she added, "Guess not."

Two large arms wrapped painfully around her chest, crushing the air from her lungs and hoisting her off her feet and held her small body close to his own. His breath tickled the back of her neck as he breathed in and out. "Got cha now, girly," he breathed into her ear and then chuckled, sending shivers down the girl's spine.

"'old 'er still fer me," the one she had broken his nose slurred out. His bleeding face and raging eyes now came into view as he walked towards her. Cracking his knuckles as he got ready to pound into her as the one behind her held her tightly.

Growling now as her patience with them fell away, Rylea said, "You guys just do _not _know who you are messing with!" before her fury was unleashed on them both.

Slamming her head back into the face of the one who held her, he cried out and let her go to grab at his face. Now the one who had been advancing on her stopped, waiting to see what she was going to do. Growling out his battle cry he didn't wait for her to make the first move and instead came at her. Rylea simply whipped around with one round house kick to the head and sent him flying into the building beside them where he slammed into it and fell unconscious to the ground.

Now she whirled around, temper boiling, powers crawling to be set free and aimed her sights on the man behind her. A glare traced his face as he looked at her. "You bitch! You broke my nose!" he shouted at her, gently touching his bleeding and disfigured nose as a glare of anger now slipped across his face.

"Oh I'm going to do more than that," she replied dangerously before her fist came up and slammed into his face, sending him off kilter and to the ground. Before he could get up she was on him, straddling his chest and grabbing a hold of his shirt with her left hand, pulling him up slightly so that her right fist could go to town on him. Again and again and again she hit him, screaming and occasionally laughing as blood flew from his mouth as her fist pounded into his face.

Then just as the girl was about to hit him again something connected in her mind with what she was doing and her fist stopped, posed just above his face; fist shaking from the adrenaline running through her right then. She blinked several times as if coming out of a daze and looked down into the cowering, bleeding and beaten face of the man under her. Her hand unclasped his shirt from her hold and let him fall back onto the pavement, defeated and hurting. Quickly she got up from him where he laid, backing away from the man as her eyes stared at what she had done in disbelief.

"No," she whispered, still backing away from his fallen form before shouting, "No!" and taking off away from the two men who had once been attacking her.

Her body trembled, powers still pacing and crawling throughout her. Her hands trembled, aching to let the powers building in her be let go. She couldn't let them though. It was dangerous to trust herself anymore. Her mind and body had become her enemy now, no longer listening to what she told it to do, but acted on what its instincts told it to do. Tears dotted her face as she ran, her hair whipping wildly around her as a breeze picked up. She needed to see him. Needed for him to help her quiet the dark powers surging through her right then before they consumed her whole.

----------------------

****

A/N: Well, what a way to end a chapter. I think this one held more action in it then the previous two and I bet all of you who read this were saying, "Thank, God! Its about time!" right? As far as the Supreme go, you'll learn more about them and what they have to do with the Goddess as the story goes on. Sirous might make an appearance, I'm not sure yet. Anywho, thanks go out to Rogue, LG and MorganRay.


	5. Chapter Four

****

::Chapter 4::

People's idle conversations and chit chatting sounded all around them. Cooks called out orders and dishes clattered somewhere off to their right ---a waitress was busily clearing a table for new comers to sit at. Ryo watched her picking up the plates and cups from the table top and then hurriedly walk them away to the brown tub sitting in the corner; balancing them the best she could in her arms, dump them in and then return to the table to wipe it off. Fingers drumming on the tabletop brought his eyes to rest upon the blond haired man seated in front of him again. A far off look held his handsome features as he idly drummed his fingers against the table top, his head cocked to the side and rested upon his other hand.

Sage was unusually quiet today for some reason. Normally he would have been smiling and even winking at some of the waitresses who worked here as they passed by him, but now he just sat mutely in his seat; eyes directed else where. This brought a frown to Ryo's face as he looked at him. He figured the whole divorce with Hannah was what had him so down and was afraid that prodding that information out might anger the blond man.

Clearing his throat now, Ryo sat his folded hands on the top of the table that they sat at and asked, "So, you want to tell me what's on your mind, Sage?"

The blond haired man sighed, brushing the irritating hair that seemed to hang over his right eye away, giving himself a brief moment of relief from it before it just fell right back into place. He leaned back against the booth he sat at, hand still drumming idly on the table top to keep his mind busy. So many things were on his mind now, too many things to tell Ryo about in just one hour. A frown now settled over his face as he stared into the cup of tea that sat before him.

His family still had yet to learn of his divorcing from his wife and he shuddered at the thought of what his grandfather would have to say about it. The old man had objected, as it was, to him marrying a _gajin _or foreigner as he called her. Sage could already hear the lectures and I-told-you-so that would be coming his way once wind of it got to him. His sister Yayoi would probably be the one to tell him. He could just picture the smug look on his hell bitch of a sister's face as she broke the news to their grandfather.

He hated to think about the phone call he was going to be getting from the old dragon. Sage was almost positive that he would be ordered to come back to the Date estate immediately where his grandfather would try and arrange another marriage for him; while forcing him to practice Kendo everyday and help with the duties of the dojo.His _duties _as the heir to the Date heritage. It only angered Sage more when he thought about what he had been expected to do, what had been drilled into him time and time again since he was a little boy.

__

You will one day take over the running of this dojo along with the family estate and everything that comes with it, Seiji. His grandfather's voice rang in Sage's ears now, so far away and yet as clear as if the old man were sitting right beside him. _Not only that but you will be expected to have an arranged marriage that I myself will pick out the woman for. After that it is imperative that you produce at least one heir to take over the dojo for you. Do you understand this, Seiji?_

Sage chuckled bitterly at the voice of his grandfather still explaining his life, basically, to him even though the old man wasn't even around him anymore. He'd escaped his grandfather's presence when he'd moved to Toyama to be with the guys and attend the same high school, but that didn't stop the old man's drilling from still haunting him. _Well I at least did one of the things I was supposed to do. _He now thought with a small glimmer of bitterness. _I provided an heir for the Date name._

Date, Hojo, his one and only son; now also the heir to the Date estate. Purposely Sage had tried to keep both his son and daughter away from his family and especially his grandfather at all costs since the day they had been born. He knew it must have hurt his mother and father, but the man hadn't wanted to subject them, especially Hojo, to his grandfather. He'd still kept with the traditions of the Date family and taught them both Kendo, not going to the extremes of it with them like his grandfather had, but they still had been taught. _Much to the dismay of Hannah, _Sage thought with a wry smile.

Bringing himself from his own musings now, Sage looked up at Ryo with a somewhat whimsical smile on his face and proclaimed, "Sometimes I wish I were like you, Ryo. The only heir to my clan and didn't have to deal with family."

Ryo chuckled from over the brim of his teacup at Sage's proclamation and then sat it back down on the small saucer on the table. Clasping his hands together he sat his elbows on the tabletop and pointed the clasped hands at the now somewhat normal looking Sage. "Let me guess," he started and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Your family doesn't know yet, do they?"

Sage smirked as he jokingly teased, "Man, how do you do it, Ryo? Are you sure you're not a telepath like your daughter?"

"Figures," was all Ryo said in return to the man's sarcastic joking.

The blond now chuckled some himself, letting a small smile slide across his features while he stared down into the tea sitting in the cup he now idly swooshed back and forth. Silence fell over the two before Sage spoke up with, "You're not exactly the person I usually discuss this kind of stuff with."

A mumbled, "Thank, God," came from Ryo as a reply.

His reply, although Sage knew he was only kidding around, only made Sage smile more. Ryo wasn't one to talk about his problems either. He'd rather keep them bottled up inside, take care of his problem himself or in other words, skip the whole confiding-in-a-person thing. "But," he now went on, "Since Rowen couldn't join us on this little break from work, I guess I'll have to tell you my whole terrible, sob story, life history instead."

"Sage," Ryo started, the urge to keep his face neutral causing his mouth to twitch now. "I think we've all pretty much got _that _part down pat now. Why don't you tell me the _other _thing that's got you all stressed to the point of where you're ignoring the opposite sex."

Sage chuckled now, he couldn't help it. Ryo's almost vain attempt to keep a neutral face was almost too funny to look at. The blond ran a hand through his hair now, scratching slightly at the base of his neck as he replied, "Have I really been ignoring all the beautiful waitresses here?"

Ryo's face went blank as he blinked several times and then choked out, "Ah, yeah."

"Have I really?" Sage's face now took on the same look as Ryo's, pretending to be as shocked by it as he was. One of the waitresses who he usually flirted with came into view now, busily walking from table to table with a teapot; refilling cups with a smile. She came by their table now and Sage reached out, grabbing her gently by the wrist to stop her. "Tell me something, babe" he said up to her with a now anguished, pleading look upon his face and the waitress looked at him as if he had lost it. "Have I been ignoring you today? Have I not full filled my duties as the most handsome, charming flirt here?"

Ryo's almost snort laughter came from beside the waitress as she stared at Sage, blinking slightly, not sure if he were being serious or not. When it became clear to her that he was indeed waiting for an answer from her, she shook her head and said with a chuckle, "Yeah, Sage, you've been ignoring all of us today and we're so hurt by it."

A sympathetic, almost pathetic even for him, smile crossed his face now as he apologized, "I am so sorry. I will try not to ignore such beautiful women as those waiting on me today." Then he took her hand into his and caressed it before laying a soft kiss on her knuckles and asking, "Do you forgive me?"

A blush rose up on the waitress's face before it then scrunched up and she took her hand back from him, embarrassed more than anything that he had made her blush. Even though she tried, the waitress couldn't keep the smile off her face as she scolded, "Sage Date, get a life!" smacking his arm then before promptly walking away from the table with head held high in a dignified way.

Tears were now rolling down Ryo's face as he watched the blond chuckle and rub his arm where the woman had hit him, his laughter getting the better of him. "That," he said between his chuckles, "has got to be the most stupid thing I have ever seen you do, Sage." He then went to wiping away the tears from his face as he regained control of his laughter.

Sage Date only grinned back at his black haired, long time friend. He picked up his cup of tea now before saying, "I know, I amaze myself at times," then looked down into the almost empty cup and said, "Damn, I should have got a refill from her while I had her just standing here."

The blond man now turned around in his seat, searching for where she had gone to and when he had spotted her said out to her, "Hey sweetheart!" which gained the waitress's attention plus a few other women sitting at their own tables eating. The black haired waitress looked over in his direction and Sage continued, "Can I get a refill, please?" and pointed to the cup he held in his right hand in the air.

A smirk fell over the waitress's face as her free hand came up to rest on her hip. Ryo shook his dark head behind Sage, turning his face away from him now; trying his best to act as if he didn't know whom the blond haired person seated in front of him was. Sage only broke out his heart melting smile at her and the waitress caved though, shaking her head as she trudged back over to his table to refill Sage's cup.

----------------------

The front door was now in her sights, just ahead of her; hope and relief flowed through every inch of the girl now. Her breathing was short and ridged now as she banged on the door, hands, arms and whole body still shaking and trembling as she fought to keep the power crawling throughout her body at bay. Her eyes darted uneasily around her, alert to any movements from the shadows. The door opened and her heart sunk when the face of the person appeared ---it wasn't who she had wanted to see.

Amber eyes wavered over her as a sly grin slipped over his face. Knocking his shaggy forest green hair from his face, the man folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe. His eyes still silently ran over the body of the girl standing before him, taking in every inch of what he could see. Then they narrowed into a concerned expression as he noticed the slight tremble in her arms and the tears still on her face. "You ok, Lea?" he asked her.

"Is Tadin here, Adian?" she replied immediately to the man standing before her, wrapping her arms around herself with a scowl at him. Every time she came here or was anywhere around him, the demon's eyes never left her. Rylea hated the way he just sized her up with that crooked grin on his face; never saying much, if anything, to her.

The concern turned to jealousy as she ignored the fact that he was generally concerned about her and asked where 'he' was. Adian's mouth opened to reply to her, but before he could someone roughly pushed him aside and back into the building. Adian stumbled back and glared up at the back of Tadin as he went to the aid of the girl. Tadin now appeared at the door, a frown immediately covering his face at what he saw. "Lea?" he asked as he rushed to her side, hands already softly running up and down her arms to quiet the trembles running through them. His eyes flicked over her face, noting the tears and pleading, almost scared look on her face and knew what was happening without a word being said.

"It's ok, I'm here now. Everything's going to be ok," Tadin whispered to her as he brought the distraught girl into his arms and headed back inside. He stepped around Adian, the glare on his face telling him to stay away from his girl. The blond haired demon now held the girl in his arms tighter while he escorted her into the front room and away from the forest green haired demon. Adian only chuckled lightly at the glare he gained from Tadin as he pushed the door closed and then went his separate way from the other demon.

Tadin now sat Rylea down on the three section couch before dashing off to grab the afghan from the beanbag chair in the corner. Returning he wrapped it around her shoulders as he sat beside her, taking the shaking girl into his arms as he rubbed her back; trying to make her feel as safe as he could. It was the only thing he could do whenever this happened to her. Make her see that she was safe and had the will and power to overcome what her body was wanting to do. He felt her arms wrap around his chest, clinging to him as if he were her lifeline and her head buried into his chest; her ridged breaths felt warm against his skin even through the shirt he wore.

His hand smoothed her soft hair away from her face as he laid soft kisses against her temple and forehead, trying to calm her down the best he could. Her trembles and shaking lessened with time, her breathing becoming regular again against his chest. Tadin continued to caress her hair, a smile now lighting his features as he kissed her lightly. "Feel better?" he asked down at her, his arms wrapping gently around the dark haired girl who still clung to him, pulling her close against him in reassurance that she was fine.

"Yeah," came the somewhat muffled response from the girl as she sighed and snuggled closer into his embrace, content and happy to being this close to him. The crawling powers wanting to be let go quieted and were replaced with a delicious wave that ran through her body at Tadin's every touch; bringing a smile to her face.

"What happened this time?" the blond demon asked the Roninette in his arms, concern evident in his soft but deep voice. His blue eyes now rested on her face, watching for any indication that a lie was in the mitts of being lolled over in her mind ---all he found was a frown on her pretty face as her eyes moved quickly back and forth as if she were reliving the event again or thinking heavily on something. When she remained quiet, Tadin then lifted her chin up, making her eyes meet his and said softly, "Lea, you can tell me. I just want to know."

A sigh escaped Rylea's lips as her eyes once again fell to the floor while she sat up and pulled the afghan tighter around her shoulders as if to ward off some chill that only she could feel. Her body began to hum at even the thought of what she had done to those two demons that had attacked her. She may have fought them in self defense but to the extent that she took it..... There was no justification for what she had done. No, there was an excuse for it. She was a demon and that's what those demon powers surging throughout her body had wanted, had needed right then ---and Rylea would have killed them if she hadn't been able to come back to her senses right then.

Rylea's bright blue eyes narrowed at the floor at her musings. There was _no _excuse for what she had done. No matter how she tried to justify it or excuse it, there was no excusable reason for it. She couldn't just say that it was because she was a demon and there was nothing she could do about it. There was. Leinto had been helping her to try and gain control of those powers and use them to her advantage ---obviously they had a _long _way to go.

A heavy sigh came from her now as her fingers began to fiddle with the fringe on the afghan, distracting her as she said, "I was attacked again. Two demons that had been hunting me found me on the way over here. I fought them off in self defense but...." Her voice trailed off, hands clutching the blanket tightly and she swallowed hard before continuing, "I lost control again. I didn't even know I had until I found myself beating an already down guy to death. I just.... I stopped midway into punching him and blinked, confused as to what I was doing. Then the guys' bleeding, scared, pleading face looked back up at me, staring directly at me as he silently asked me to spare him. That's when it all had set in and I took off running before I ended up killing one of them."

A sympathetic, concerned expression fell over Tadin's handsome, in a dangerously sexy way, features and the usual faraway coldness melted from his steel blue eyes as he looked at the beautiful young girl seated beside him. Usually he didn't bother with using his mind reading ability to look into her mind, but now he did. Without verbally saying a word he allowed his soothing, caring words to caress her mind as he wrapped his strong arms around her small frame; lovingly brushing her wild bangs from her face so that he could see her vivid blue eyes better.

Excepting his embrace, Rylea rested her head against his shoulder with a sigh and closed her eyes, feeling at peace at that moment for the first time that day. Time itself could have stopped right then and she wouldn't have cared. A smile slid across the blond's mouth as he looked down at her, laying a soft kiss on her forehead he said, "You'll get over this, I know you will, Lea. You're strong and it's not because of the Goddess' powers. I felt that about you the day I met you in the lunchroom cafeteria before you were ever possessed by the Goddess. You're too strong willed to let this thing beat you and don't ever tell yourself differently."

A smile spread over Rylea's face as she looked up at him and replied jokingly, "Ya know, sweet talking me isn't going to get you anywhere, Tadin."

A chuckle escaped the blond haired demon at her reply. His knuckles now caressed her cheek as he retorted, "I'm being serious, Lea."

"I know," Rylea said with a huff, her features almost taking on a pouty look as she went to trailing a finger over the fabric covering his chest. She traced the outline of the muscle under his shirt even though she couldn't see it. "I don't like being serious though."

"So I know," he muttered in reply which gained him a hit to the chest in return for it. Tadin chuckled now as he rubbed his chest where the girl had hit him, a smile on his face as he said, "Do you want me to walk you home now? Wouldn't want your Dad to get upset."

"No," she said sternly and threw her legs over his lap, wrapping her arms around his chest and pulled the young demon closer to her. Rylea closed her eyes now with a small smile of contentment, resting her head once again against his shoulder. "It's not that late and he'll just think that practice ran over if it is. I don't get to see you that much and I'd like to just stay here, like this, for a little bit longer if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all," Tadin murmured against her temple as he nuzzled the side of her face, taking in the smell of her shampoo coming from her unruly dark hair. A chuckle came from her at his actions which in turn brought a sly grin to his face as he wrapped his arm around her waist; holding her closer to him, savoring the feel of her body being close to his as his lips softly trailed over her face before meeting her own soft, full lips in a kiss. Time its self fell away at that moment as the two young demons held each other in an embrace they never wanted to end.

------------------

Keish Rei Faun shoved her fourth piece of the large pizza they had ordered at the food court in the Toyama mall, into her mouth and then took a long gulp of the pop in the cup next to her plate. Swallowing the combination of pop and pizza in her mouth, the girl then went back to making the slice of pizza in her hand disappear. Kami's face scrunched up as she sipped on her pop, watching her best friend beside her eating or more like, devouring the pizza that sat before them on the table. Her eyes then flitted over to land on the blue haired teen seated in front of her. Rona had a look between a smirk and a frown covering her face as she held her own piece of pizza poised to go into her mouth. Kami chuckled lightly at the look on the Roninette of Strata's face before then letting her eyes drift over onto the blond haired beauty beside her.

A frown covered Kami's gentle features at the expression she found on her friend's face. Heather had this faraway, almost confused and yet hurt look on her face as she idly poked the single slice of pizza on her plate; with her head propped on her hand. The Roninette of Halo hadn't said a word since they'd all left the training area and come here for some rest and relaxation. This concerned Kami greatly. Clearing her throat she placed her cup back down on the table and asked, "You ok, Heather? I think you've been playing with the same slice of pizza for over fifteen minutes now."

Heather's head came up from where it had been propped on her hand, blinking a few times as she looked at Kami as if she had just come out of a daze. Keish, who had just now stopped eating her piece of pizza, chuckled and said, "Looks like she was day dreaming again, guys."

"Who was the guy this time?" Rona chimed in good heartedly from beside Heather.

A weak glare crossed over Heather's features at her friend's wisecrack remarks to her. Tossing her golden blond hair over her shoulder indignantly, she wiped the grease from her finger on a napkin and picked up her cup of pop. "There was no guy, I wasn't daydreaming I was thinking," she replied from over the top of the cup as she took a drink from it. Her eyes surveyed the people who walked passed them in the mall.

"Hm, well," Keish started as she chewed on one side of her mouth now. "If you weren't thinking about boys then you must have either been thinking about the divorce or what you're going to do to, Lea."

"Wow, Keish, you're pretty good," Heather sneered with a sarcastic smile on her pretty porcelain features; idly she swooshed the cup around in her hand.

Kami sighed, it was just going to be one of those days. The rift between Heather and Rylea was an on going thing that none of them were ever going to be able to stop, it was just the way the two were; the way they had always been. Rona now eyed the blond seated beside her curiously as she said, "Heather, Lea didn't know anything about the divorce and I'm sure if she had she wouldn't have done that to you. Besides, it's not like Lea's not going through a hard time right now as well."

Silence followed the blue haired teen's statement. In truth, they all were going through a hard time right now. The easy part had been getting Rylea back, now they all had to get over the fact that she was a demon and always would be. It still, in some way, didn't seem real to them. Although they would never say anything to Rylea, knowing that she was a demon made them all a little uneasy when around her. Although on the outside she was still the same Rylea they had all grown up with, on the inside she wasn't; she was no longer one person but two now. One person being there best friend and leader and the other being the demon Goddess, their enemy and biggest threat to them.

"Whatever," came Heather's bland reply finally, disrupting the silence that had once clung over the table despite the noise that clattered around them from the mall. "Lea this and Lea that and oh poor, Rylea," she mocked in a sarcastically pathetic way and clasped her hands together dramatically. "I'm sick of it. The world doesn't revolve around Rylea Sanada and what kind of depressing, life altering problems she has. She's not the only one whose world isn't perfect, ya know."

"That's cold, Heather," Rona shot from the blond's right with purple-blue eyes now narrowed at her. "Do you have any idea what she must be going through right now? How she must feel knowing what she is and what she's _always_ going to be? I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm taking my cousin's side here, but you're little divorce problems seem to pale in comparison to my cousin's problems in my eyes, Heather."

"Yeah, well, it's not my fault that that happened to her and I feel sorry for her, I really do, I even pity her but all of us have our own major problems. Not all of us want to have to hear about her sob story time and time again. I know I sure the hell don't. I don't know why we don't just do what we all know we should do and boot her from her leader position of our group and maybe even have Leinto take her armor from her," the blond replied, eyebrows pinching into an aggravated frown at the conversation. Then as if what she had said hadn't been that big a deal, Heather took a sip off her pop and flipped her hair over her shoulder nonchantly.

Jaws dropped, food fell back onto plates and three pairs of wide, unbelieving eyes stared at the golden haired blond girl in the booth. How could Heather suggest or even say such a thing like that about someone who they had grown up with, trusted and loved like a sister? Kami was the first to speak as her almost whispering voice said, "Heather do you realize what you just said?"

"Hai," she replied, fingers twisting the bracelet on her right wrist. "The big deal with what I said being?"

"Being you're suggesting we take away an armor that rightfully _belongs_ to Lea whether she's a half demon or _not_ and take away her rank as leader!" Keish shouted at the Roninette of Halo from across the table, her voice ringing with rage at the very thought of doing that to her. People around them stopped their conversations or eating and looked over at the table and girls with weird, confused looks about what they were talking about.

"Please keep your voice down, Keish," Kami whispered harshly to the ash-blue haired girl beside her.

"As much as I hate to say this," Rona started in her quiet, pondering voice with brows knitted into a frown. Her deep purple-blue eyes now raised to look at her friends around the table, "Heather's idea isn't that bad when you think about it."

"Nani?!" Keish's voice rang once again in disbelief.

Even Kami now blinked in startled confusion at Rona's words as she replied, "Rona, she's your cousin, your family and even you are going to turn on her now too?"

"I'm not turning on her, Kami," Rona retorted with a glare of displeasure at her comment. "I'm just thinking. We're not totally sure, and I'm sure Lea's not either, of the full extent of her demon powers. What if she becomes a full hybrid again, I mean we're leaving out the whole Goddess possibility here, and ends up using the armor against all of us? I know she wouldn't mean to, but do you really want to take that chance?" Silence followed her words now as everyone took in the full extent of what she was saying to them; Rona now continued, "I'm not saying that we completely eliminate her as a Roninette because we can't. We need her as a part of this team and as our leader. I'm just saying that until we and her, completely come to understand what kind of powers she has now, that she shouldn't have possession of the armor."

A thoughtful silence once again claimed the table. The three girls' minds now worked to comprehend and digest what all Rona had suggested to them. Twiddling her thumbs nervously, Kami now spoke up and said, "You know, I've never even seen Lea call on her full armor. Have any of you?" Shakes of the head came from the girls around Kami and she continued, "Every time we're made call on our full armors during practice, she picks a fight with Leinto and he sends her on some other thing to do. Do you think it's possible that maybe she can't call on the armor?"

"I don't know if she can or can't," Keish now exploded into the conversation again, blue eyes blazing with rage as she spoke. "But she's still the bearer of the Wildfire armor and _my_ leader. I don't care if she's half demon or not or even what _could_ happen if she still has the armor, I'm not going to make her step down from anything and knowing her, she won't anyway! This is stupid! You're all turning on her just because of what she is now and I think it's pathetic and low. She's not even here to defend herself!"

"Well we can't just turn our heads or pretend that she's not a demon, Keish!" Heather now raged back at the Roninette of Hardrock, heads turned once again in their direction as the feud went on. "Face it, she's not little miss annoying bitch anymore, now she's little miss annoying bitch _and _I can-kill-you-if-I-wanted-to!"

"But she wouldn't do that to us! Come on, this is _still_ Lea we're talking about here! Her family means more to her than anything and all of you know that!"

"Keish, Heather, please keep your voices down. People are staring at us," Kami tried in vain to quiet the two again.

"No, this isn't _just _Rylea we're talking about here, Keish," the blond retorted smugly. "This is a half demon we're talking about now. Family means nothing to them and I wouldn't put it past her to take one of us out if she got the chance!"

"What would _you _know, Heather?! Selfish, spoiled ass, brat, if you ask me _you're _the one who doesn't deserve or need the armor you have!" the ash-blue haired girl yelled back and was on her feet now, slamming the palms of her hands down on the table and glaring angrily at the blond across from her.

Heather was on her feet now too, slamming her perfectly manicured hands down on the table and glaring just as heatedly back at Keish as she shouted, "Take that back you big mouthed, rowdy, tomboy!"

"Stop!" Rona shouted, turning heads and quieting the two fighting friends. Her gaze flicked from one to the other, daring them to say another word to the other. To her relief neither said anything else.

Growling now, Keish grabbed up her book bag from beside the table, shouldered it and said, "You're all making a _big_ mistake and I for one am _not_ going to be a part of it. I'm standing beside Lea one hundred percent," and then stormed away from the table and into the sea of people walking through the mall.

Kami sighed at the way things had gone, feeling that the worse was yet to come. They'd all been driven apart now, fighting amongst each other instead of banding together to take care of this problem. Heather sat back down with a huff and grabbed up her cup of pop, sipping off it through the straw angrily; not saying a word to anyone. Rona put her head in her hands and sighed heavily. Was she wrong about what she had said they should do? She didn't know anymore.

-------------------

The sound of heels clicking on pavement echoed through the alleyway, disturbing the peace that had once claimed the surrounding area. A now half shadowed figure came into the light that cascaded down onto the mouth of the alleyway and half of the sidewalk surrounding it. Luscious, dark, soft curls tumbled over her slender shoulders and mid way down her back; weaves of silver, gold and red in her hair caught the light from the street lamp above her and reflected it. Delicate flowers dotted the cream colored, sleeveless tunic she wore and seemed to almost accentuate her large chest. The woman's chestnut brown eyes angrily looked down at the watch that hung on her left wrist before scowling and shouldering the small clam shell purse on her right shoulder again.

She crossed her arms haughtily over her chest now and began to tap her right foot moodily. She hated to be kept waiting, even if the person she was supposed to be meeting held a much higher rank over her, it still irked her to be kept waiting like this. Movement to her left and the rustling of a trashcan being knocked over alerted her to someone else being there with her. The woman smirked now as the person came into her line of vision; it wasn't whom she was waiting for.

A spiky haired man wearing ripped jeans and a leather, biker jacket walked up to her now with hands in his pockets. His eyes were fixed on her in a hungry, primal way as a smirk adorned his lips. With easy steps he walked up to her saying, "Hey, babe. What's a chick like you doing on this side of town this late at night?"

The woman rolled her eyes at this man who had just had to come out of the woodwork tonight just because she had to be out there. She shifted her weight on her feet and flipped her hair over her shoulder while replying coldly, "None of your business."

"Ooh," he said now as a smile replaced his smirk and he stopped next to her, being close enough to smell the flowery scent of her perfume. "Babe's got a mouth to go along with the hot body. I like my women to be sassy."

"Is that right?" she now asked pleasantly and turned a grinning face up to look at him. Her grin turned seductive as she trailed one finger lightly up and down his chest while pouring on her charm as she said, "I guess it's just my lucky night, huh?"

Immediately a happy, dazed look spread over the man's features, completely contrasting with the way he had at first presented himself. All will or rational thinking had been lost at this point as he was ensnared in her power; now only seeing the beautiful face of the woman standing in front of him. The seductive smile on the woman's face now melted into a feral grin as her prey fell into her trap. Sliding her hands up his chest she now grasped his face in her hands as her eyes turned a dark, pupil less black. The man began to scream in agony as his soul was ripped from his body and expelled through his mouth. A white, almost ghostly apparition seeped from the man's mouth and the woman inhaled it greedily.

The spiky haired man now went limp and eyes rolled back into his head. The woman let go of his face and watched with an amount of humorous satisfaction as he slumped to the ground while lightly wiping at the corner of her mouth. "Guess it was my lucky day," she said with a chuckle and shouldered her purse again.

"I take it that's what happens to the men once you're through with them, Ume?"

The woman spoken to whirled around, a frown lighting her features as she laid eyes on the person standing before her now. Gray hair streaked black in places laid over his broad, but aged shoulders and down the middle of his back. Tribal tattoos were plastered on his face but the black leather trench coat he wore hid the ones on his arms from sight. His milky white eyes stared at her, but it felt more like he was looking through her then at her. "About time you showed up, Takashi," Ume replied with a huff and once again crossed her slender arms over her large chest. "Supreme duties keep you this time?"

"Why are you dressed like that?" Takashi asked, motioning to the outfit she wore and purposely ignoring her question. She was beneath him, a simple minion and had no right to be demanding answers from a high ruling Supreme like himself.

"This?" Ume asked and looked over her outfit before saying rather haughtily, "I work, or more like pose, as a waitress at one of the restaurants Ryo frequently goes to. Figured it'd be a good way to at least meet him first."

"And you have?"

Ume nodded, "Yes, him and the hybrid."

A look of interest passed over the Supreme's face now as he said, "Really? And how did that go?"

"She didn't know _what_ I was, but she knew that I wasn't human," the Enchantress replied and then her face lit up as she went on to say, "The girl doesn't have control of her demon side yet. When I helped her up, her powers reacted to mine and she nearly blacked out trying to keep them from gaining the upper hand on her."

"That, Enchantress, is going to help us out greatly in the time coming. I have foreseen her fall as a Roninette, but the events leading up to it are still unclear to me. Most of my vision is shrouded in darkness, but is becoming slightly more clear as time passes," the man said and then a frown clouded his features as his unseeing eyes seemed to grow distant. "I have also seen the coming of a being that could possibly hurt our plans a great deal. I feel that their presence will be coming into this world very soon."

"Who would this 'presence' be exactly?" Ume now ventured to ask.

"My sight has not told me of that yet," he answered simply, then almost as if pulling himself back from some trance he had been in, Takashi looked back at Ume with his blind eyes and said, "If she has not conquered and gained control of her demonic side then that means all she needs is a little _persuasion _for her to see what she was meant to become. I will need you to gain as much access to her as possible once I began the dreams. I'll need to know what is effecting her the most."

"Yeah, sure, shouldn't be a problem. The feeling I got from her father is that he's a pretty trusting person. I shouldn't have to work too much of my charm on him to be able to get what I want," the Enchantress replied with a smug smirk, her plans already beginning to unfold in her head.

"Good, I'll be expecting an update on your end in a few days," Takashi now turned in a whirl of trench coat and gray hair and began to walk back into the shadows.

"There's one more thing I think you'd like to know, Lord Takashi," Ume called out to him in a sugary sweet voice. When he stopped walking she went on to say, "Rylea is seeing that traitorous hybrid, Tadin. I caught sight of them earlier today when she'd gone to him after nearly killing two demon bounty hunters. They looked very.... Cute together, I guess you could say."

Takashi smirked at her last bit of information. Word about the brutal beatings of the two had already spread throughout the demon realm. Many had now been discouraged from tracking her down after what had happened to the last that had tried. With the mention of Tadin, another fairly powerful demon came to the Supreme's mind ---Sirous. They'd used Sirous just as the purebred had used Tadin into helping him fulfill the prophecy of the Goddess of Night. Takashi had known he wouldn't succeed in keeping the Goddess free from her prison, he'd foreseen that, but Sirous' efforts now gave them a chance to finally win over an important person on the side of good in evil's favor. A person who was more a threat to herself and the world then even she herself knew.

The Supreme high ruler continued to walk into the shadows now as he heard the clicking sounds of Ume's heels walking away behind him. The news of her dating a demon was just one more plus in his favor and just one more thing that he could use when the time came.

-----------------

****

A/N: Well, this took a little longer than expected to get done and out. I think that was mainly b/c I'm still hashing things out for this story and getting more ideas for it as I go along. I'm hoping this one turns out as good as I think it will. Anywho, thanks go out to LG, Rogue and MorganRay. Also, special thankies goes to LG who has been a MAJOR LY big helper to me with this story. Muchos gracias, chica! Um, another chap when the ideas come to me I guess. Don't be looking for it anytime soon.


End file.
